The story was written in Bormio, a city in the Italian Alps, near the border with Switzerland. This Saturday (14), Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won Brazil’s first medal in a Winter Olympics. And a gold one, at that. The skier won the giant slalom event at the Milan and Cortina Games.
The giant slalom consists of two runs on a course with poles fixed in the snow, called “gates”, spaced about 25 meters apart. The skier must pass between them. The winner is the one who achieves the lowest total time.
Born in Oslo, the capital of Norway, but with a Brazilian mother, Lucas completed the runs in 2 minutes and 25 seconds, finishing 58 hundredths of a second ahead of the Swiss Marco Odermatt, who took silver. Bronze also went to a Swiss, Loic Meillard.
Lucas took the lead in the first run, completing the course in 1min13s92. Despite posting only the 11th best time in the next run (1min11s08), the mark was enough for the Brazilian to hold off the Swiss Odermatt and Meillard.
Trajectory
At 25 years old, Lucas represented Norway until 2023, when he announced his retirement from competitions. He competed in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in China as a Norwegian athlete, but did not finish the events he entered.
In 2024, he reversed his retirement plans and turned to Brazil. The following year, he began representing his mother’s homeland, achieving historic podium finishes in Alpine Skiing World Cup stages, culminating in an unprecedented gold medal in Bormio this Saturday.
Before Lucas, Brazil’s best result in the Winter Olympics was by Isabel Clark. At the Turin Games, also in Italy 20 years ago, the Rio native finished ninth in snowboard cross.
Another competitor in Saturday’s event was Giovanni Ongaro. Also the son of a Brazilian mother, but born in Clusone, Italy, he recorded 2min34s15 across the runs, finishing 31st.
Brazil in the Games
The gold medal won this Saturday may have been just the first for Brazil in Milan-Cortina.
On Monday (16), starting at 6 a.m. (Brasília time), it will be time for the slalom, an event similar to the “giant” version, except the gates are closer together (about 13 meters).
In addition to Lucas and Giovanni, Brazil will be represented by Christian Soevik from Rio de Janeiro, who is also the son of a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother.
Lucas Pinheiro Gets Emotional After Gold in Milan: “Nothing is Impossible”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history in Brazilian sports by securing the country’s first medal in Winter Olympic Games. The gold in alpine skiing giant slalom came on Saturday (14) in Milan-Cortina, after two decisive runs that put him ahead of the event’s top favorites.
In an interview with SporTV, the skier could not hold back his emotion when discussing the result that defined his career under the Brazilian flag, officially adopted in mid-2024.
“Inexplicable. It’s totally inexplicable. I can’t put words to my feelings right now,” he said, immediately after the title was confirmed.
Son of a Brazilian mother and born in Switzerland, Braathen stressed that the achievement could go beyond the sporting result. “With everyone in Brazil watching me, following me, supporting me, this can probably be a point of inspiration for the next generation of kids, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you wear, the color of your skin. What matters is what’s inside [pointing to his heart]. And I ski with my heart,” he declared, emotional.
A Duel with an Olympic Favorite
The battle for gold was intense. The Brazilian overcame Swiss Marco Odermatt, the Beijing 2022 Olympic champion and one of the favorites in Milan-Cortina. His rival settled for silver.
Braathen described the podium fight as a “war.” According to him, the strategy was to find the ideal rhythm down the course. “I was pushing, pulling, pulling. Always trying to find the speed, find the ‘flow’, to go down at a really fast pace,” he explained.
The skier also pointed out the event’s technical challenges, particularly the changing track conditions between runs. The snow, he said, becomes “completely different” as competitors go down, demanding quick adaptation.
“I found the balance. I was skiing with my heart. And when you ski authentically, anything is possible,” he added.
Flag Change and Personal Affirmation
Before representing Brazil, Braathen competed for Norway. He left the team after conflicts with the local federation over his career management and chose to represent his mother’s country of origin.
Commenting on the win, the athlete emphasized the importance of preserving his identity. “The only thing that matters to me is that I keep being who I am. I am the Brazilian skier who became an Olympic champion,” he affirmed.
The Milan-Cortina result marks a historic milestone for Brazil in the Winter Olympics and positions Lucas Pinheiro Braathen as the protagonist of a new era in national winter sports.
Source: brasil247.com