Braathen Makes History with Olympic Gold as Brazil Claims First Winter Medal

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won gold in the men's giant slalom with a combined time of 2:25.00, defeating 2022 Olympic champion Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds to deliver South America's first-ever Winter Olympic medal on Saturday. Braathen, wearing Bib 1, set the tone early with a blistering first run. He carved through the 52 gates with a fluid aggression that left his rivals reeling, finishing nearly a full second ahead of the field.

Odermatt took silver and his Swiss teammate Loic Meillard claimed bronze on the challenging Stelvio course in what became a historic day for Brazilian skiing.

The 25-year-old Brazilian set the tone early, taking advantage of the smooth surface as the first skier to finish the opening run in 1 minute, 13.92 seconds. His margin of 0.95 seconds over Odermatt after the first run was the largest lead after an Olympic men's giant slalom Run 1 since 1988 according to NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks.

Odermatt, widely considered the most complete skier in the world, had struggled at these Games despite being favored in multiple events. He finished fourth in the downhill and took bronze in the Super-G , races he was expected to win. In the second run, he mounted a fierce challenge but couldn't close the gap entirely.

Meillard, who won men's team combined silver alongside Odermatt earlier in the Games , secured Switzerland's second medal of the day with his bronze-medal performance.

For Braathen, the victory represents a remarkable personal and professional journey. Born to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, he began his career representing Norway, winning five World Cup races and making 12 podiums before abruptly retiring in October 2023 He returned to competition five months later representing Brazil his mother's homeland.

Braathen was a Did Not Finish in this event at the Beijing 2022 Olympics , making Saturday's triumph all the sweeter. "I was introduced to sports in the streets of São Paulo," Braathen said in 2024  "To be able to come full circle and to be able to represent [Brazil] in a World Cup of a sport, it truly means a lot."

The previous best Winter Olympic result for Brazil was Isabel Clark Ribeiro's ninth-place finish in snowboard cross at the 2006 Turin Games

"I'd be a liar if I said it was easy," Braathen told reporters, still draped in the Brazilian flag. "The pressure I bring into these Games is something I try to embrace with gratitude. If I wasn’t at the start gate dealing with pressure, I wouldn’t really be bringing change.".

Braathen, who wore "Vamos Dancar" — "Let's Dance" — on the back of his helmet, has now brought the samba to the slopes and Olympic glory to South America.