Lucas Pinheiro Braathen Secures Historic Olympic Gold for Brazil

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, representing Brazil, has secured the Olympic giant slalom gold medal. This achievement marks South America's inaugural medal and Brazil's first gold medal in the history of the Winter Games, occurring 102 years after the Winter Olympics began.

This achievement marks South America's inaugural medal and Brazil's first gold medal in the history of the Winter Games.

Race Details and Historic Victory

The 25-year-old athlete completed the two-run giant slalom on the Stelvio course in Bormio, Italy, with a combined time of 2 minutes, 25.00 seconds. Pinheiro Braathen, who was in the leading position after his first run, finished 0.58 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion. Loic Meillard, also representing Switzerland, secured the bronze medal.

This victory is a significant milestone for Brazil, which has participated in every Winter Olympics since 1992. Previously, Brazil's best results included a ninth-place finish in women's snowboarding in 2006 and a 13th-place finish in women's skeleton in 2022.

Athlete's Background and National Transition

Born in Oslo to a Brazilian mother and Norwegian father, Pinheiro Braathen previously competed for Norway. During his time representing Norway, he was ranked as the world's top slalom skier. He made the decision to represent Brazil before the 2023-24 season.

This transition followed his retirement at age 23, citing conflicts with the Norwegian ski federation concerning athlete marketing rights. He later chose to unretire and compete for Brazil, a country he visited annually as a child and where he stated he "fell in love with sports." He has publicly remarked that Norway taught him "how to be an athlete," while Brazil taught him "how to be myself."

Norway taught him "how to be an athlete," while Brazil taught him "how to be myself."

Prior to this Olympic gold, Pinheiro Braathen had already achieved other firsts for Brazil in Alpine skiing, including the country's first World Cup podium finish and its first World Cup win.

Statements and Reactions

Following his win, Pinheiro Braathen expressed the difficulty of articulating his feelings, stating it was "impossible" to put into words. He noted the significance of hearing Brazil's national anthem on the podium, particularly during Brazil's Carnival season, and highlighted what he described as "unconditional love and support from the Brazilians." He has also stated an intention to inspire children in Brazil.

Marco Odermatt acknowledged Pinheiro Braathen's skill, referring to him as "an amazing skier." Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, who trained with Pinheiro Braathen in childhood, expressed pride in his achievement.

In Milan, fans gathered at "Casa Brasil" celebrated the victory with cheering and dancing to samba-infused music.

Broader Brazilian Olympic Presence

Another notable Brazilian athlete competing in the current Winter Olympics is Nicole Rocha Silveira. Silveira, born in southern Brazil and later relocating to Canada, is ranked ninth globally in women's skeleton. She has achieved three World Cup race podiums in recent seasons and placed fourth at the 2025 World Championships. Her 13th-place finish at the 2022 Olympics was, at the time, the second-best result for a Brazilian in any Winter Olympic event. Silveira aims for a top-eight finish in the current Games. Both Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Nicole Rocha Silveira carried the Brazilian flag during different segments of the Opening Ceremony.