Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made alpine skiing history on Sunday. He became the first ever Brazilian to win a World Cup alpine skiing race. The timing could not be more perfect. Braathen’s World Cup slalom win came in Levi, Finland, only three months prior to the start of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Why is Braathen representing Brazil?
Braathen initially competed internationally for his birth nation of Norway from 2016 to 2023. However in October of 2023, he shockingly announced his retirement from competitive alpine skiing at only the age of 23. The retirement did not last long. Six months later, Braathen returned to competitive high-performance skiing after taking the 2023-24 skiing season off. Starting in the 2024-25 season, Braathen returned, and this time representing his mother’s home country of Brazil.
As a child, Braathen’s parents separated. His mother moved to Brazil and his father remained in Norway. Braathen lived in both countries.
Braathen’s World Cup Sunday gold medal
Braathen posted a winning time of 1:50.72. Clement Noel of France won the silver medal with a time of 1:51.03. Eduard Hallberg of Finland won the bronze medal with a time of 1:51.29. Braathen reached the podium by 0.61 seconds. Laurie Taylor of Great Britain finished in fourth place with a time of 1:51.33.
This was the first World Cup slalom race of the 2025-26 alpine skiing season. Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the first World Cup giant slalom race of the season on October 26 in Soelden, Austria.
Five prior World Cup wins
Braathen won five prior World Cup races representing Norway. He won gold in two giant slalom races (in Soelden on October 18, 2020, and in Alta Badia, Italy on December 18, 2022). Braathen has also won three World Cup slalom races prior to yesterday. He also placed first in Wengen, Switzerland on January 16, 2022, in Val d’sere, France on December 11, 2022, and in Adelboden, Switzerland on January 8, 2023.
Brazil at the Winter Olympics
Brazil has won 170 medals all-time at the Olympic Summer Games (40 gold, 49 silver and 81 bronze). However Brazil never won a single medal in the history of the Olympic Winter Games. Brazil has sent 65 athletes to the history of the Olympic Winter Games. Brazilian athletes have competed in alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross-country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing (women’s moguls and women’s aerials), luge, skeleton, and snowboarding. The best ever Olympic Winter Games result by a Brazilian athlete came at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games win Turin when Isabel Clark Ribeiro finished ninth in the women’s snowboard cross.
