Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins giant slalom gold to secure Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympics medal
Braathen’s journey to historic Olympic gold
Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, Braathen’s road to Olympic glory has seen him build upon his early promise to become one of the greatest Alpine skiers in the world.
After a first Olympic outing at Beijing 2022, the 25-year-old has put South American skiing firmly on the map with some thrilling performances on the slopes.
The 2025/26 World Cup season sees him second in the slalom, giant slalom and overall rankings, behind only skiing superstar Odermatt.
And it was the Swiss skier who proved to be Braathen’s closest rival in the giant slalom at Milano Cortina 2026, surging into the lead after his second run to pile the pressure onto the Brazilian’s shoulders.
Yet with the weight of a nation – perhaps even a continent – on his shoulders, Braathen held his nerve to deliver a gold-winning run and become the first-ever athlete from a South American NOC to be crowned champion at the Winter Games.
He is also the first athlete from the southern hemisphere to claim an Olympic medal of any colour in Alpine skiing since Zali Steggall of Australia won bronze in women’s slalom at Nagano 1998.
Superstar status no doubt awaits him at home in Brazil, a nation far better known for sun-soaked beaches and lush rainforests than snowy mountain slopes.
However, upon winning gold, Braathen was keener to focus on the inspiration young people in Brazil could take from his history-making gold.
“I hope I can inspire some kids out there that, despite what they wear, despite how they look, despite where they come from, they can follow their own dreams and be who they really are,” he said. “Because that is the real source of happiness in life.”
Only eight days after waving his nation’s flag at the Opening Ceremony, a moment he described to Olympics.com as a “dream come true”, Braathen has now seen it lifted high for the first time at a medal ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games.
And while he has spoken openly about his pride at being a flagbearer, this latest achievement left the new Olympic champion speechless.
“I am just trying to get some sort of emotion here and translate it into words, even though it’s absolutely impossible,” he said.
