A Historic Winter Olympics Push for Brazil
Milan Cortina, Italy – For the first time in Winter Olympics history, a South American nation stands on the cusp of winning a medal. As competition heats up at the Milan Cortina Games, two Brazilian athletes – alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and skeleton competitor Nicole Rocha Silveira – are poised to make their mark, carrying the hopes of a continent with them.
The possibility of a South American breakthrough centers on Saturday, with Silveira competing in the women’s skeleton event in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Her performance will be determined by the combined times of four runs, two on Friday and two on Saturday. She enters the competition ranked ninth in the world, having achieved three World Cup podium finishes in the last two seasons and placing fourth at the 2025 World Championships.
Also competing this weekend, and on Monday, is Lucas Pinheiro Braathen in the alpine skiing events – giant slalom and slalom. Currently ranked second in the world in both disciplines, Braathen’s journey to the Olympics is a remarkable one. Born in Oslo, Norway, to a Brazilian mother and Norwegian father, he initially represented Norway before a surprising retirement at age 23, citing a conflict with the Norwegian ski federation over athlete marketing rights.
Braathen’s decision to retire sent shockwaves through the skiing world. He subsequently traveled to Brazil, spending time on Ilhabela, an island off the coast of São Paulo, before deciding to unretire and compete for his mother’s homeland. He secured a release from the Norwegian federation to pursue this new path.
“Norway taught me how to be an athlete, how to brave the cold,” Braathen said during the Milan Cortina Olympics. “Brazil taught me how to be myself.”
His transition has been nothing short of spectacular. Braathen became the first Brazilian skier to win an Alpine World Cup race in 2024, celebrating with a samba in the snow. He continued his success, winning another World Cup event last November, prompting him to shout “Vamos Brazil!” into a camera as the Brazilian national anthem played.
Silveira’s story is equally compelling. She began her athletic journey in Canada after her family relocated from the southern tip of Brazil when she was around seven years old. Her family initially considered Miami, but ultimately chose Calgary after her father scouted the city. She discovered skeleton after a conversation with a member of the Brazilian bobsled team while working at a supplement shop in 2017.
Silveira balances her athletic pursuits with a career as a nurse at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. She races with a uniquely decorated helmet featuring artwork of a Brazilian parrot wearing a stethoscope.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Silveira achieved the second-best result for a Brazilian in any Winter Olympic event, finishing 13th in her debut. The best previous result was Isabel Clark’s ninth-place finish in snowboard cross in 2006.
Both Braathen and Silveira proudly carried the Brazilian flag during the Opening Ceremony, symbolizing the nation’s growing presence on the world’s winter sports stage. Silveira has expressed optimism about her chances in Cortina, stating in 2024 that a top-eight finish would be “incredible,” and that she dreams of winning a medal.
The potential for a historic moment is palpable. If either athlete succeeds, it will mark the first time a South American country has won a medal at the Winter Olympics, a milestone that would resonate far beyond the slopes and ice tracks of Italy.
