Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen carved his name into history books this weekend, winning South America's first-ever Winter Olympics medal with a heart-stopping giant slalom victory at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. The 25-year-old clocked a combined 2:25.00, leaving Swiss defending champion Marco Odermatt 0.58 seconds behind in silver position.
From Norwegian Slopes to Carnival Celebrations 🎉
The Rio de Janeiro-born athlete, who switched allegiance from Norway to his mother's homeland in 2024, delivered his winning run wearing a helmet boldly declaring "Vamos Dancar" (Let's Dance). The timing couldn't be more perfect – his golden moment coincided with Brazil's iconic Carnival festivities.
"You're balancing between falls and good turns… that's the beauty of alpine skiing,"
Pinheiro Braathen told reporters, still visibly emotional about becoming the first South American Winter Olympics medalist. Swiss skiers Odermatt and Loic Meillard completed the podium, with Odermatt collecting his third medal of these Games.
