Lucas Pinheiro Braathen

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the men's giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, a gold that made him Brazil's first Winter Olympic champion [5]. He raced for Norway until his retirement in 2023 and has raced for Brazil since 2024.

Born in Oslo, raised between two countries

Braathen was born on 19 April 2000 in Oslo [2]. His father is Norwegian and his mother is Brazilian. He grew up between Norway and São Paulo and is bilingual [5]. His listed club is Bærums Skiklub [2].

Five World Cup wins for Norway

He competed for Norway until 2023. In that time he won five World Cup races and held the world's number one ranking in slalom [5]. In the season before he retired he won the slalom Crystal Globe [1].

Retirement and the return for Brazil

In October 2023, aged 23, he surprised the sport by retiring [1]. His account is that he had a falling-out with the Norwegian federation over sponsorship rights [5]. He later said that leaving the Norwegian team "sure was difficult" [1]. Looking back, he said it was hard not "waking up every day in the pursuit of becoming the best in the world at something" [1].

He bought a one-way ticket to Brazil and settled on Ilhabela, an island off the coast of São Paulo [5]. In March 2024 he announced at a press conference in Austria that he would race again, this time for Brazil [1]. He called Brazil "the country where I discovered my love for sports" [1]. Under FIS rule 203.5, his application to change his FIS licence registration was due to go to the FIS Council at its spring meeting [1]. Sources describe him as Norwegian-Brazilian, having competed for Norway until 2023 and for Brazil from 2024 [5].

When he returned to skiing in 2024 he raced in green and yellow, with "Vamos Dançar" written on the back of his helmet [5]. Ski Racing's preview of the 2025 season opener at Sölden records that he made his first World Cup start under the Brazilian flag there [7]. The 2025 season opener at Sölden, a giant slalom, was scheduled for Sunday, 26 October 2025 [7].

Coming back after a break

After retiring, he went back to Norway to spend time with family, then flew to Brazil [1]. He contacted the Brazilian federation after former partners said they would support a comeback [1]. When he announced his return, he said he was "beyond proud" to represent Brazil at World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Games [1]. He also hoped Norwegian fans would back him "for the person I am, not just based on the flag I represent" [1].

Podiums under the Brazilian flag

On 21 December 2025 at Alta Badia, Italy, he finished second in a giant slalom, 0.18 seconds behind Marco Schwarz of Austria [8]. That result was his seventh podium for Brazil, and his third in giant slalom, a discipline the article describes as not his specialty [9]. Earlier that season his slalom medals for Brazil were gold at Levi, Finland, silver at Adelboden, Switzerland, and bronze at Kitzbühel, Austria, and Hafjell, Norway [8].

Bormio, 14 February 2026

The men's giant slalom at the Olympics was held on 14 February 2026 in Bormio, Italy [5] [3]. His first run was nearly a second faster than that of Switzerland's Marco Odermatt [5]. Olympedia's list of starters includes him representing Brazil [6]. His first run was 1:13.92 and his second 1:11.08, for a combined time of 2:25.00 [4]. Odermatt took silver, 0.58 seconds behind [5].

What the medal meant for Brazil

The gold was the first medal at the Winter Games for any South American country, and it was gold [3]. Braathen was also the first South American athlete to reach an Olympic podium in alpine skiing [3]. The victory came on the first full day of Carnival, and Brazilian fans gathered at Brazil House in Milan [3].

Asked about his background, he put it this way: "Norway taught me how to be an athlete, how to brave the cold. Brazil taught me how to be myself" [5].

Carnival in the Olympic week

[5] describes an interview in which journalist Fernanda Gentil asked him "Você é da onde?" ("Where are you from?"). He answered that he was from Brazil. She then apologised to the international press in Portuguese, saying "Desculpa, imprensa global. Estamos no Carnaval!" (our translation: "Sorry, global press. We are in Carnival!") [5].