Brazil’s Pinheiro Braathen wins gold – and South America’s first Winter Olympics medal | Winter Olympics 2026
As snow fell and fog rolled in in Bormio, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history by becoming the first South American to win a Winter Olympic medal. Later, when he realized he had won the gold medal for Brazil in the men’s giant slalom, he collapsed to the ground and let the tears flow.
“I hope Brazilians look at this and truly understand that your difference is your superpower,” she said, still crying. “It might show up in your skin or the way you dress. But I hope this inspires any kid who’s feeling a little different to trust you.”
On the back of Pinheiro Braathen’s helmet it says “Vamos Dancar” – “Let’s Dance” in capital letters. And he certainly did it on his first run, building a stunning 0.95-second lead over Swiss legend Marco Odermatt.
Braathen’s performance was so good that only seven skiers were two seconds off his pace, and while he missed some of his advantage with erratic turns on his second run, he retained his courage to win the gold medal by 0.58 seconds. “It was a really great first run and I managed to recover and stay balanced on the second run,” said the 25-year-old athlete, who collapsed in the snow at the finish and then stood up and kept his skis in the air. He then called his father, Bjorn, for a long hug.
“You keep asking me if I can express these feelings in words, but I really can’t,” he admitted. “This road has been really long. And it has been a very unusual road. But this was my road. This is a road paved with the courage to be me.”
This is absolutely true. Pinheiro Braathen was born in Oslo to a Brazilian mother and a Norwegian father, and reluctantly took up skiing at the age of eight after being introduced to the sport by his father. He grew up speaking both Norwegian and Portuguese.
He competed for Norway at the Beijing Games, failed to complete the race in the giant slalom or slalom, then stunned the sport by parting ways with the Norwegian federation and retired after winning the World Cup slalom title in 2023, saying he was unable to express himself or have the freedom to work with his own sponsors.
In 2024, Pinheiro Braathen returned to the tracks in the colors of Brazil, where his mother Alessandra was born and where he spent several years of his childhood. With 443,000 followers on Instagram, she is a regular at fashion weeks in Paris and Milan and has also launched her own skincare range.
And two years later he realized his dream. “It was the biggest stage I could ever set foot on,” he added. “But I was made for this stage. As I said before the Games started, Brazil is not here to participate. We will make a difference. That was my goal. I’ve dreamed of this for so long that if I follow my heart, I can finish on top. That’s why I’m an Olympic champion today.”
Reigning Olympic champion Odermatt took silver. Another Swiss skier, Loic Meillard, won the bronze medal.
