History was carved into the snow in Bormio on Saturday as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered a groundbreaking performance in the men’s giant slalom, capturing not only his first Olympic gold medal but also the first Winter Olympic gold — and first Winter Olympic medal of any kind — ever won by Brazil.
With a combined time of 2:25.00, Pinheiro Braathen stunned the alpine skiing world and rewrote Olympic history books.
Wearing bib No. 1, the 25-year-old Brazilian exploded out of the starting gate in Run 1 and immediately put the field on notice. He didn’t just take the lead — he obliterated it.
When the dust settled, Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt trailed by nearly a full second. According to NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, it marked the largest margin between first and second in an Olympic men’s giant slalom opening run since 1988 — an almost unheard-of gap in a discipline typically decided by tenths or even hundredths of a second.
Loïc Meillard, the third-fastest in Run 1, found himself more than 1.5 seconds behind. Austria’s Stefan Brennsteiner sat seventh, a full two seconds off the Brazilian’s blistering pace.
Whether it was pristine technique, deteriorating course conditions, heavy snow, or some combination of all three, Pinheiro Braathen had built a cushion rarely seen at this level of competition.
Still, Olympic gold is never secured after one run. Run 2 presented fresh challenges, including wet, heavy snow and increasing pressure from the world’s best. There was a brief heart-stopping moment in Sector 3 when Pinheiro Braathen slipped and nearly lost control. But he recovered brilliantly, muscling through the course with controlled aggression to cross the line and secure Brazil’s place in Winter Olympic history.
Behind him, Odermatt claimed silver (+0.58), his second silver medal of the Games. The Swiss favorite — widely expected to dominate downhill, super-G and giant slalom — leaves Bormio with three medals but no gold. Meillard completed the podium (+1.17), giving Switzerland two more alpine medals to add to their team combined silver earlier in the week.
Pinheiro Braathen’s path to this moment was anything but conventional. Born in Oslo, Norway, he initially represented Norway and captured five World Cup victories early in his career. However, a sponsorship dispute with the Norwegian federation led him to step away from the sport, causing him to miss the 2023–24 World Cup season entirely.
In March 2024, he shocked the skiing world by announcing his return — this time representing Brazil, his mother’s homeland.
Two years later, that decision culminated in one of the most significant upsets and symbolic victories in Winter Olympic history. Not only did he become Brazil’s first Winter Olympic medalist, but he also became the first athlete — man or woman — representing a South American nation to win a medal at the Winter Games.
Three Americans competed in Saturday’s giant slalom. River Radamus, who finished fourth in GS at the 2022 Winter Games, led the U.S. contingent with a 17th-place finish (+2.96). Two of the three Americans placed inside the top 30.
The men’s giant slalom in Bormio will be remembered not just for a dominant opening run or a dramatic save in heavy snow — but for the moment Brazil stood atop the Winter Olympic podium for the very first time.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen didn’t just win a race. He opened an entirely new chapter for winter sports in South America.
