Brazil just made Winter Olympics history. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won Alpine skiing giant slalom gold in a thrilling competition on Saturday (14 February) at Milano Cortina 2026, making him the first Brazilian and first South American ever to claim a medal at the Winter Games.
Braathen's triumph is a remarkable achievement for the South American nation, who in 102 years and 26 editions of the Winter Olympics, secured its very first medal in winter sports. It's a monumental breakthrough for a region that has long been underrepresented in the Winter Games. Braathen's victory also makes him the first athlete from South America to medal at the Winter Games, with Swiss stars Marco Odermatt and Loïc Meillard winning silver and bronze, respectively.
Brazilian ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen swiped away the competition with a powerful final run in the Olympic giant slalom on Saturday, winning gold and earning South America's first-ever medal at a Winter Games. Braathen completed the two descents in 2 minutes and 25 seconds, 58 hundredths ahead of Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, considered the favourite to win this category, who won the silver medal.
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. Until his retirement from World Cup racing in October 2023, he represented Norway in international events. In March 2024, Pinheiro Braathen announced that he would return to the alpine skiing circuit, representing Brazil instead. Much like other Alpine skiers making their mark at these Games, Braathen's comeback timing couldn't have been better—he delivered when it mattered most. The 2025/26 World Cup season sees him second in the slalom, giant slalom and overall rankings, behind only skiing superstar Odermatt.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen will take the spotlight again on Monday (16 February) as he attempts to add to his giant slalom gold medal with victory in the slalom. Among those out to prevent a second-ever Winter Olympics gold for Brazil will be close friend and former Norway teammate Atle Lie McGrath, who is top of the World Cup slalom standings just above Braathen. With one gold under his belt, the Alpine skiing world is watching to see if he can strike again before the Games wrap up on February 22.