Samba-Dancing Skier Makes Olympic History for Brazil

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics by winning Brazil’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal, and he did it in style. The 25-year-old claimed gold in the giant slalom in Bormio, delivering two superb runs on the daunting Stelvio piste to beat Swiss star Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds.

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Odermatt’s teammate Loic Meillard took bronze. His victory also marks the first Winter Olympic medal for any South American nation.

From Norway to Brazil

Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, Pinheiro Braathen previously competed for Norway, winning 12 World Cup medals. But in 2023, aged just 23, he stunned the skiing world by announcing his retirement, saying he had lost his “joy of living”.

A year later, he returned – this time representing Brazil, honouring his mother’s heritage and embracing what he called the “biggest project” of his life.

In Bormio, he led by 0.95 seconds after the first run, with only seven skiers within two seconds of his pace in a field of 81 starters from 62 nations. Defending champion Odermatt produced a blistering second run to apply pressure, but Pinheiro Braathen held his nerve in worsening weather to secure gold.

“There is nothing about today, in the heat of the moment, where you are, in any form, in a cognitive state,” he said afterwards. “I was skiing completely according to my intuition, and my heart today.”

A Different Kind of Alpine Star

Pinheiro Braathen has long stood out in the conservative world of alpine skiing. He paints his fingernails, has walked the runway in Copenhagen, owns an apartment in Milan, and is known for samba dancing in the finish area.

Growing up, he split his childhood between Norway and Brazil after his parents separated, moving home 21 times before turning 22. He once dreamed of becoming a professional footballer like Ronaldinho, saying his feet were “made for beaches and not hard-shell boots”.

But by eight, he was hooked on ski racing and the speed it offered. “I’m a person of cultural duality,” he has said. “Norway taught me how to be an athlete… Brazil taught me how to be myself.”