Brazilian skier wins South America's first-ever Winter Olympics medal
#Winter Olympics #Brazilian ski racer #South America first medal #Lucas Pinheiro Braathen #Milan 2026 #Giant slalom #Olympic gold
📌 Key Takeaways
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won South America's first Winter Olympics medal
- The Norwegian-born skier beat defending champion Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds
- Pinheiro Braathen switched from representing Norway to Brazil in 2024
- Brazil's President Lula celebrated the historic achievement as proof of Brazil's sporting potential
📖 Full Retelling
Brazilian ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won gold in the Olympic giant slalom on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Milan Winter Olympics, securing South America's first-ever medal at a Winter Games with a powerful final run that beat the defending Olympic champion. The 25-year-old athlete navigated through the technical Stelvio course with remarkable composure despite challenging conditions of falling snow and settling fog, finishing with a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds. Pinheiro Braathen celebrated his victory by falling to the snow in disbelief before erupting in screams of joy as he realized he had beaten Swiss racer Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds, with Odermatt's teammate Loic Meillard taking the bronze medal. Born in Norway but representing his mother's native country Brazil since October 2023, Pinheiro Braathen has quickly become a trailblazer for Brazilian winter sports, achieving numerous 'firsts' including being the first Brazilian Alpine racer to finish on a World Cup podium and securing the country's first-ever World Cup win earlier this season. His helmet emblazoned with 'Vamos Dancar' ('Let's Dance') reflects his fun-loving personality that has endeared him to fans, and his historic gold medal has been celebrated across Brazil, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praising the achievement as proof that 'Brazilian sport has no limits' and an inspiration for future generations.
🏷️ Themes
Olympic achievement, National representation, Sports history
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Original Source
World Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins South America's first-ever Winter Olympics medal Updated on: February 14, 2026 / 10:06 AM EST / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google Brazilian ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen swiped away the competition with a powerful final run in the Olympic giant slalom on Saturday, winning gold and earning South America's first-ever medal at a Winter Games . With snow falling and fog settling in, the 25-year-old Pinheiro Braathen remained cool and relaxed as he navigated his way through the technical Stelvio course. After seeing his place — No. 1 — he fell to the snow before starting to scream. He finished in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 25 seconds. He beat Swiss racer Marco Odermatt, the defending Olympic champion, by 0.58 seconds. Odermatt's teammate, Loic Meillard, earned the bronze medal. The Norwegian-born Pinheiro Braathen is the fun-loving, samba-dancing skier who's ready to get this party started. On the back of his helmet, he has in big letters "Vamos Dancar" — "Let's Dance." He represented Norway until October 2023, when he abruptly retired from the sport. In March 2024, he announced he would return to the alpine skiing circuit, representing Brazil — his mother's native country and where he spent much of his youth. He's already accomplished plenty of "firsts" with his new country: First Brazilian Alpine racer to finish on a World Cup podium last year and first-ever World Cup win for the country this season. Now, the first Brazilian gold medalist. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated his country's first-ever Winter Olympics medal on his social media channels. "This unprecedented result shows Brazilian sport has no limits. It is the reflection of talent, dedication and continuous work to strengthen sport in every dimension," Lula said. "Congratulations to Lucas Pinheiro and all the team involved in this historic achievement, which inspires new generations and widens the horizon for Brazilian sport....
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