Lead
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the Olympic giant slalom in Bormio on Saturday, delivering South America’s first medal at a Winter Games. The 25-year-old completed two runs in a combined 2 minutes, 25 seconds on the Stelvio course, prevailing by 0.58 seconds over Swiss defending champion Marco Odermatt. Snow and fog made conditions testing, but Braathen produced a decisive final descent and celebrated visibly at the finish. Loïc Meillard of Switzerland took bronze.
Key Takeaways
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (25) won gold in the Olympic giant slalom in Bormio with a two-run combined time of 2:25.00.
- He beat Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) by 0.58 seconds; Loïc Meillard (Switzerland) finished third.
- This is the first Winter Olympic medal ever for Brazil and for any South American nation at a Winter Games.
- Race conditions included falling snow and intermittent fog on the Stelvio course, increasing technical difficulty.
- Braathen previously raced for Norway, retired before the 2023 season, then returned in 2024 representing Brazil and earned the country’s first World Cup podium last year.
- Brazilian fans in Milan’s “Casa Brasil” celebrated with samba and chants; President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva publicly congratulated the team.
- Atle Lie McGrath of Norway finished fifth and wore a black armband in remembrance of his grandfather.
Background
Brazil has had limited presence in high-level Alpine skiing historically, with infrastructure and climate presenting long-term obstacles to producing winter athletes. Individual athletes of dual background have occasionally bridged that gap by training in Europe; Pinheiro Braathen’s Norwegian connections and upbringing gave him access to elite coaching and circuits. His mother is Brazilian and his father Norwegian; he initially competed for Norway before changing national representation to Brazil after a brief retirement.
In the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons Braathen registered several milestone results for Brazil, including the country’s first World Cup podium last year and its first World Cup victory this season. Those results set expectations that a breakthrough at the Olympic level was possible, though South American nations have never reached a Winter Olympic podium prior to this moment. The Milan–Cortina Games provided the stage, with Bormio’s Stelvio slope among the most technically demanding giant slalom courses on the circuit.
Main Event
Visibility worsened through the afternoon as light snow and patches of fog drifted over the Stelvio course, requiring racers to adapt line and timing on each gate. Braathen posted a controlled first run that kept him within reach of the lead; in the second run he produced an aggressive, clean descent that combined speed and precise gate-to-gate rhythm. When his combined time flashed at the scoreboard—2 minutes, 25 seconds—he collapsed to the snow and then erupted in celebration, acknowledging teammates and spectators.
Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion and one of the sport’s dominant figures, put in two strong runs to secure silver and add to his Milan–Cortina medal haul; he had already earned a team-event silver and a super-G bronze at these Games. Loïc Meillard completed a Swiss double on the giant slalom podium with bronze. Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath, wearing a black armband in tribute to his late grandfather, finished fifth after putting together two consistent runs.
The crowd reaction in Milan’s Brazil House — fans decked in green and yellow, chanting and waving flags — intensified as Braathen’s final time became clear. The stadium-style celebration included the anthem of celebration and samba music, a visible merging of winter-sport triumph with Brazilian cultural joy. Officials from Brazil’s Olympic delegation and members of Braathen’s support staff were on the hill to greet him after his run, emphasizing the teamwork behind the individual result.
Analysis & Implications
Sporting significance: This gold marks a watershed moment for Brazilian and South American winter sport. A podium at the Winter Olympics changes narratives: it demonstrates that athletes with cross-national training pathways can convert private resources and overseas expertise into historic national outcomes. The result will likely increase visibility for Alpine skiing in Brazil and prompt conversations about targeted investment and talent identification.
Development and funding: While a single champion does not substitute for domestic infrastructure, federal and private stakeholders may now have greater incentive to back training programs, athlete scholarships and overseas partnerships. Brazil’s president publicly praising the result signals potential political willingness to support broader sport pathways, though concrete funding commitments remain to be seen and would require multi-year planning.
Competitive sport implications: For the Alpine circuit, Braathen’s success representing Brazil underlines how mobility between national teams and athlete nationality changes can shift competitive balances and storytelling in winter sports. It also highlights the role of athlete branding and cultural connection—Braathen’s samba persona and helmet slogan have amplified media attention and fan engagement beyond typical Alpine audiences.
Comparison & Data
| Athlete | Nation | Combined Time | Margin to Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Pinheiro Braathen | Brazil | 2:25.00 | — |
| Marco Odermatt | Switzerland | 2:25.58 | +0.58s |
| Loïc Meillard | Switzerland | 2:26.3* | +1.3s* |
Context: the table shows the decisive margin that separated gold from silver and highlights the close competition among top technical skiers. Braathen’s winning total represents both a performance peak and the result of consistent season form, including prior World Cup successes that forecasted Olympic contention.
Reactions & Quotes
Brazilian reaction blended national pride and sporting surprise. Fans in Milan’s Brazil House swelled in song and dance as the result registered, framing the medal as a cultural as well as athletic milestone.
“I just wanted to share this with everyone watching in Brazil, following me, cheering for me. This can be a point of inspiration for the next generation,”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, post-race interview with TV Globo
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued public congratulations, framing the result as evidence of Brazilian sporting potential.
“This unprecedented result shows Brazilian sport has no limits,”
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil (social media statement)
Sport analysts emphasized the achievement’s strategic implications: national federations and sponsors now have a demonstrable example to justify supporting winter-sport talent from non-traditional countries.
Unconfirmed
- Detailed reasons behind Braathen’s abrupt 2023 retirement and the internal decisions leading to his switch of national representation were not fully disclosed in primary reports and remain partly private.
- Specific future funding commitments from Brazil’s government or sports bodies in response to this medal have been publicly praised but no detailed, confirmed multi-year budgets were announced at the time of reporting.
Bottom Line
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen’s victory in Bormio is both a personal triumph and a landmark achievement for Brazil and South America at the Winter Olympics. The gold validates a trajectory that combined Norwegian development resources and Brazilian national identity, producing a result that will shape perceptions of what athletes from warmer nations can accomplish in winter sports.
Looking ahead, the immediate impact will be increased visibility and emotional momentum in Brazil; whether that converts into sustained institutional support and a broader pipeline of winter athletes depends on concrete policy and investment decisions. For the Alpine circuit, the result sharpens attention on athlete mobility and the globalizing reach of winter disciplines.
Sources
- Associated Press — Event report (international news)
- Associated Press — Alpine skiing hub (news aggregation)
- Associated Press — Milan Cortina 2026 hub (news aggregation)
- TV Globo / G1 — Brazilian broadcaster (reported interview source)
- International Ski Federation (FIS) — Governing body, competition records
- Presidency of Brazil — Official statements (government)