BORMEO, Italy — Brazilian ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Brathen won the Olympic giant slalom in a powerful final race Saturday and earned South America’s first medal at the Winter Games.
With snow falling and fog rolling in, 25-year-old Pinheiro Brathen remained calm and relaxed as he navigated his way through the technical Stelvio course. After finding his place – number 1 – he collapsed on the ice before screaming.
He completed the two runs in a combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds. He defeated reigning Olympic champion Swiss racer Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds. Odermatt’s teammate Loic Maillard earned the bronze medal.
Pinheiro Brathen is the fun-loving, samba-dancing skier who is ready to get this party started. On the back of his helmet is written in large letters “Vamos Dancar” – “Let’s Dance.”
To a large extent, it is also the season of Carnival, the festival of parades, masquerades and parties famous in places like Brazil.
There is much to celebrate because, “Brazil is an Olympic champion in alpine skiing,” he said.
Pinheiro Braathen comes from a family where his mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He started racing for Norway until his sudden retirement ahead of the 2023 season, only to return to represent Brazil a year later.
“I just wanted to share it with everyone in Brazil who is watching, following me, cheering me on,” he told TV Globo. “This can be a point of inspiration for the next generation of kids, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. What matters is what’s inside. What the heart does. I bring the strength of Brazil today to bring this flag to the stage. It’s Brazilian.”
He has already accomplished several “firsts” with his new country: being the first Brazilian alpine racer to reach a World Cup podium last year and the first-ever World Cup win for the country this season.
Now, the first Brazilian gold medalist.
“I was pulling. Pulling, pulling, always pulling, trying to find where to step, always trying to find the rhythm,” Pinheiro Brathen said. “I was skiing with my heart, and when you’re skiing the way you are, anything is possible. The only thing that matters to me is to stay who I am. I’m a Brazilian skier who became Olympic champion.”
In Milan, fans dressed in green and yellow gathered at the “Casa Brasil”. They cheered for him the entire race, shouted and stood on their feet at the completion of the race. The sound system played “We Are the Champions” before playing a samba-infused song for everyone to dance.
He remains a popular figure, with one spectator at the Brazil House wearing a “Lucas Fan Club” T-shirt, while another held a placard declaring “I’m a Lucas fan”.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated his country’s first Winter Olympic medal on his social media channels.
Lula said, “This unprecedented result shows that Brazilian sport knows no limits. It is a reflection of talent, dedication and continuous work to strengthen the sport in every dimension.” “Congratulations to Lucas Pinheiro and the entire team involved in this historic achievement, which inspires new generations and broadens the horizons of Brazilian sport.”
It’s another medal for 28-year-old Odermatt at the Milan Cortina Games. He followed this up with a silver medal in the team event, where he partnered with Maillard, and a bronze medal in the super-G.
Atle Lee McGrath of Norway wore a black armband in memory of her grandfather, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. He finished fifth.
