BORMIO, Italy — History was made on the slopes of Bormio on Saturday as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen secured Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal in the men’s giant slalom. The 25-year-old racer delivered a dominant performance, finishing with a combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds, besting Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds.
Braathen’s victory is particularly significant as he is the first athlete representing a South American nation to win a Winter Olympic medal in any sport. He established a commanding lead in the first run, finishing nearly a full second ahead of Odermatt – the largest margin in an Olympic men’s giant slalom first run since 1988, according to NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks.
Despite the pressure of maintaining his lead in the second run, Braathen remained composed, navigating the challenging course with skill and precision. “I’ve tried over and over again to put words into what it is that I’m feeling,” Braathen said, “But it’s simply impossible.”
Odermatt, the pre-Olympic favorite in three Alpine skiing disciplines, settled for silver, adding to his collection of medals at the Milan Cortina Games. He previously secured silver in the team combined event and bronze in the super-G. “If you’re not satisfied with three medals, then you have a problem,” Odermatt told Reuters. “Of course it would have been nice to have a gold medal, but I have one at home, and that’s why this is now a nice collection.”
Switzerland’s Loic Meillard rounded out the podium, claiming the bronze medal with a time 1.17 seconds behind Braathen.
Braathen’s journey to Olympic gold is unique. He previously competed for Norway before switching his allegiance to Brazil, his mother’s homeland. He has already achieved several milestones representing Brazil, including the nation’s first World Cup podium finish and first World Cup win this season.
The victory sparked jubilant celebrations in Brazil, with fans gathering at “Casa Brasil” in Milan to cheer on their champion. Braathen acknowledged the outpouring of support, stating, “Being the reason that I get to hear and share that song in a stadium in the middle of mountains, because of a Winter Olympic gold medal for these colors, I’m beyond proud.” He added, “I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve read through from the day I started representing Brazil until becoming an Olympic champion today that has been along the lines of, ‘I have no idea of what’s going on, but let’s go Brazil. Let’s go Lucas.'”
Braathen’s success is expected to inspire a new generation of winter sports athletes in Brazil and across South America. He emphasized the importance of the unconditional love and support he has received from Brazilians, even as ski racing gains popularity in the country.
“I was skiing with my heart, and when you ski the way you are, anything is possible,” Braathen said. “The only thing that matters to me is that I remain who I am. I am a Brazilian skier who became an Olympic champion.”
Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, a longtime friend and competitor of Braathen’s, finished fifth and expressed his pride in the Brazilian’s accomplishment. “We shared a nice hug over there,” McGrath said. “I’m really proud of him.”
