The story was written in Bormio, a city in the Italian Alps, near the border with Switzerland. This Saturday (14), Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won Brazil’s first medal at a Winter Olympics. And a gold one at that. The skier won the giant slalom event at the Milan and Cortina Games.
Giant slalom consists of two runs on a course with poles fixed in the snow, called “gates,” separated by about 25 meters. The skier must pass between them. The winner is the one who obtains the lowest total time.
Born in Oslo, the capital of Norway, but with a Brazilian mother, Lucas completed the descents in 2 minutes and 25 seconds, finishing 58 hundredths of a second ahead of Swiss athlete Marco Odermatt, who took the silver. The bronze also went to a Swiss athlete, Loic Meillard.
Lucas took the lead on the first descent, completing the course in 1min13s92. Despite only achieving the 11th best time on the following descent (1min11s08), the mark was enough for the Brazilian to stay ahead of the Swiss riders Odermatt and Meillard.
Trajectory
At 25 years old, Lucas represented Norway until 2023, when he announced his retirement from competition. He competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in China as a Nordic athlete, but did not finish the events he participated in.
In 2024, he reversed his retirement plans and sought out Brazil. The following year, he began representing his mother’s homeland, achieving historic podium finishes in Alpine Skiing World Cup events, culminating in an unprecedented gold medal in Bormio this Saturday.
Before Lucas, Brazil’s best result in the Winter Olympics was achieved by Isabel Clark. At the Turin Games, also in Italy, 20 years ago, the Rio native finished ninth in snowboard cross.
Another competitor in Saturday’s race was Giovanni Ongaro. Also the son of a Brazilian mother, but born in Clusone, Italy, he clocked 2min34s15 in the downhills, finishing in 31st position.
Brazil at the Games
The gold medal won this Saturday may have been only Brazil’s first medal in Milan-Cortina.
On Monday (16), starting at 6 am (Brasília time) it will be the turn of the slalom , a test similar to the “giant” version, with the difference that the distance between the masts is smaller (about 13 meters).
In addition to Lucas and Giovanni, Brazil will be represented by Christian Soevik, from Rio de Janeiro, who is also the son of a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother.
Lucas Pinheiro gets emotional after winning gold in Milan: “nothing is impossible”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history in Brazilian sport by winning the country’s first medal at a Winter Olympic Games. The gold in the giant slalom in alpine skiing was secured on Saturday (14), in Milan-Cortina, after two decisive runs that put him ahead of the main favorites in the event.
In an interview with SporTV, the skier couldn’t contain his emotion when commenting on the result that marked his career under the Brazilian flag, officially adopted in mid-2024.
“Inexplicable. It’s totally inexplicable. I can’t put words to my feelings right now,” he said, shortly after the title was confirmed.
The son of a Brazilian mother and born in Switzerland, Braathen emphasized that the achievement could transcend the sporting result. “With everyone watching in Brazil, following me, cheering for me, this can probably be a point of inspiration for the next generation of children, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you wear, the color of your skin. What matters is what’s inside [pointing to his heart]. And I ski with my heart,” he declared, emotionally.
A duel with an Olympic favorite
The battle for gold was intense. The Brazilian beat Swiss athlete Marco Odermatt, the Olympic champion in Beijing 2022 and considered one of the favorites in Milan-Cortina. His rival finished with the silver medal.
Braathen described the race for the podium as a “war.” According to him, the strategy was to find the ideal pace throughout the descent. “I was pushing, pulling, pulling. Always trying to find the speed, find the ‘flow,’ to descend at a really fast pace,” he explained.
The skier also highlighted the technical difficulties of the race, especially the difference in track conditions between the two runs. The snow, he stated, becomes “completely different” as competitors pass, requiring rapid adaptation.
“I found the balance. I was skiing with my heart. And when you ski the way you are, anything is possible,” she added.
Changing flags and making a personal statement
Before representing Brazil, Braathen competed for Norway. He left the team after conflicts with the local federation regarding the management of his career and chose to represent his mother’s country of origin.
Commenting on the achievement, the athlete highlighted the importance of maintaining his identity. “The only thing that matters to me is that I continue to be who I am. I am the Brazilian skier who became the Olympic champion,” he stated.
The result in Milan-Cortina consolidates a historic milestone for Brazil in the Winter Olympic Games and projects the name of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen as a protagonist of a new stage in national snow sports.
Source: brasil247.com