History made: Braathen wins Brazil’s first Winter Olympic medal

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen produced a historic performance to win gold in the men’s giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 on Saturday (February 14), becoming the first Brazilian and the first South American ever to claim a medal at the Winter Games.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen produced a historic performance to win gold in the men’s giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 on Saturday (February 14), becoming the first Brazilian and the first South American ever to claim a medal at the Winter Games.

The 25-year-old delivered a stunning display at the Stelvio Ski Centre, finishing with a combined time of 2:25.00 across two runs. Braathen set the tone early with a dominant Run 1 time of 1:13.92, nearly a second faster than Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt. He then held his nerve in the second run to seal the gold.

“I was skiing completely according to my intuition and my heart today. I just wanted to ski as the person I am,” Braathen said after the race. “I know I can be the best in the world if I do that.”

Odermatt finished second with 2:25.58 to take silver, while compatriot Loïc Meillard claimed bronze in 2:26.17. Although Odermatt was tipped for gold before the Games, he expressed satisfaction with his overall campaign, ending with three medals.

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