Brazil Breaks Winter Olympic Barrier as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen Takes Giant Slalom Gold
The Norwegian-born skier delivers Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympics medal, edging Alpine favourite Marco Odermatt in a dramatic giant slalom finish in Italy.
Brazil entered the Winter Olympics record books on Sunday after Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed gold in the men’s giant slalom at the Milano Cortina Games, securing the country’s first-ever medal in winter sport. The result marks a rare breakthrough for a nation more closely associated with beaches than snow-covered slopes.
Braathen completed the two-run event in a combined time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds, finishing 0.58 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, widely regarded as the pre-race favourite. Another Swiss skier, Loïc Meillard, took bronze, completing a podium dominated by Alpine powerhouses — with one notable exception.
Starting first after the draw, Braathen laid down a benchmark time in the opening run that none of the 80 remaining competitors managed to beat. That early advantage allowed him a more controlled approach in the second descent, where he finished outside the top ten for the run itself but still held on to overall victory. In a sport where margins are often measured in hundredths of a second, his lead proved just enough.
The win carries an unusual backstory. Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother, Braathen previously competed for Norway and enjoyed success on the World Cup circuit before announcing a surprise retirement in 2023. He returned to competition a year later, this time racing under the Brazilian flag in tribute to his maternal roots — a decision that has now delivered historic results.
Arriving in Italy, the 25-year-old was already in strong form, having placed in the top five in ten consecutive races. Still, few expected Brazil’s long wait for a Winter Olympics medal — spanning more than a century and 26 editions of the Games — to end on an Alpine ski slope.
The gold medal places Brazil in an exclusive club of southern hemisphere nations to reach the Winter Olympic podium. Until now, only Australia and New Zealand had managed such feats, underlining how exceptional Braathen’s achievement is in a sport dominated by Europe and North America.
Brazil’s medal tally may not stop there. Braathen is scheduled to compete again later in the Games in the slalom event, where he will have another opportunity to add to the country’s newly opened Winter Olympics account. Whether or not that happens, Brazil’s presence in winter sports has already shifted — and not quietly.