{"id":1771122,"date":"2026-02-14T23:36:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T20:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1771122"},"modified":"2026-02-14T23:36:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T20:36:32","slug":"olympics-brazil-makes-history-lucas-braathen-wins-olympic-giant-slalom-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1771122","title":{"rendered":"[OLYMPICS] Brazil Makes History: Lucas Braathen Wins Olympic Giant Slalom Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_390970\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390970\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390970 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAKiAQMAAAB8Z\/9dAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAExJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20ND6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgF8D1UIAAdgwbY4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"674\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=640%2C674&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=285%2C300&amp;ssl=1 285w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=1140%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=768%2C808&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=600%2C632&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"674\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390970\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2268.jpeg?resize=640%2C674&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"674\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390970\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">What it means: Brazil\u2019s first Olympic medal, and it is gold! | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-76818296\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-76818296\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-21881883\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-21881883\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Milano Cortina 2026 hit the halfway mark Saturday, and the headline moment came from the slopes of Bormio, Italy, where Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered Brazil its first-ever Winter Olympic medal\u2014gold in the men\u2019s giant slalom. <\/strong>And he did it in style.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/olympics-team-usas-jessie-diggins-claims-4th-career-olympic-medal-in-10k-cross-country\/\">[OLYMPICS] Team USA\u2019s Jessie Diggins Claims 4th Career Olympic Medall in 10k Cross-Country<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Giant slalom races are conducted in two runs, with the combined time determining the final result.<\/strong> In the World Cup, only the top 30 from run one qualify for run two. At the Olympics, however, everyone who finishes the first run qualifies for run two. The top 30 qualifiers will compete in run 2 in reverse order ahead of the rest of the field.<\/p>\n<p><strong>With 81 starters, the field in Bormio was deep\u2014stacked with the fastest GS skiers in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_390973\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390973\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390973 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAJJAQMAAAAA5BQcAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAEVJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAGwO5GQAB42xwJgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"585\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=640%2C585&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=300%2C274&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=768%2C702&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=600%2C548&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"585\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390973\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2266.jpeg?resize=640%2C585&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"585\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390973\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The GS podium at the 2026 Olympics: Lucas Braathen gold, Marco Odermatt silver, Loic Meillard bronze. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Run 1: A Statement From Bib No. 1<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Opening the race was Braathen in bib 1 and he made the most of the first bib.<\/strong> he finished run 1 in 1:13.92 but it was unclear whether it was a good time. Setting the pace from the first gate is always tricky\u2014you have no benchmark. No split comparisons. No context. Just instinct and execution. But it didn\u2019t take long for his time to crystallize as something extraordinary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The next six skiers\u2014all the fastest in the world, hence the top 7 starting bibs\u2014finished between one and two seconds slower.<\/strong> That group included current World Cup overall leader Marco Odermatt, who had the fastest time behind Braathen, 0.95 seconds behind. When the fastest skiers on the circuit cannot keep up with the first skier, something is different. Some blamed the soft course, however, such a strong course deterioration within minutes seemed unlikely.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Braathen\u2019s skiing looked fluid and confident on a hill that was anything but predictable.<\/strong> The course had been prepped inline with FIS guidelines and was water injected, however, the rather flat course caused many to struggle. Adaptability was everything\u2014and Braathen adapted better than anyone. At the end of run one, he still held nearly a one-second lead as no-one came close to the Brazilian.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Behind him sat a Swiss wall: Odermatt in second, followed by Lo\u00efc Meillard and Thomas Tumler.<\/strong> France\u2019s L\u00e9o Anguenot was fifth, and Norway\u2019s Henrik Kristoffersen sixth, while Braathen\u2019s close friend Atle Lie McGrath sat eighth\u2014more than two seconds back.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/olympics-la-tigre-federica-brignone-roars-to-a-dominant-victory-in-womens-super-g\/\"><strong><em> [OLYMPICS] La Tigre Federica Brignone Roars to a Dominant Victory in Women\u2019s Super-G<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>For Team USA, River Radamus finished run one in 12th, Ryder Sarchett 29th, while Kyle Negomir did not finish. <\/strong>Australia\u2019s Harry Laidlaw was 28th after the first run.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But the story for run 2 was clear: it would be Braathen vs. the Swiss.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_390974\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390974\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390974 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAALqAQMAAACfbHdcAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFFJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Hb6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4DHsCgABqOw0QwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"746\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=640%2C746&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=257%2C300&amp;ssl=1 257w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=1029%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1029w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=768%2C896&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=600%2C700&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"746\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390974\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2265.jpeg?resize=640%2C746&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"746\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An emotional Lucas Braathen collapsed in the finish line. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-4-38622985\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-4-38622985\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"4\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-84004065\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-84004065\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<h2>Run 2: Holding His Nerve<\/h2>\n<p><strong>With soft snow deteriorating and visibility fluctuating, run two became a survival test.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Odermatt pushed hard, throwing down a time that would ultimately secure silver.<\/strong> Meillard stayed composed for bronze. McGrath charged in the second run, moving up to fifth and bumping Anguenot to sixth. Kristoffersen finished eighth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Then it was down to Braathen.<\/strong> He didn\u2019t need to win the run\u2014just control it. And that\u2019s exactly what he did. Clean transitions. Smart line. No panic. He crossed the line still in green with a final margin of 0.58 seconds over Odermatt. Loic Meillard in third place sat more than 1.5 seconds back. It was\u00a0gold for Brazil.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The victory marked the first Winter Olympic medal in Brazilian history\u2014a breakthrough moment not just for Braathen, but for an entire nation rarely associated with snow sports. <\/strong>When we spoke with Braathen five months ago, the Norwegian-Brazilian athlete stated he was hoping to use his dual citizenship as his superpower for the upcoming season, and it can be safely said that today, he did.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/lucas-braathen-the-norwegian-brazilian-trailblazer-who-hopes-to-unleash-his-superpower-in-the-2025-26-season\/\"><strong>Lucas Braathen, the Norwegian-Brazilian Trailblazer, Who Hopes to Unleash His Superpower in the 2025-26 Season<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Milano Cortina 2026 has delivered plenty of drama, but this was something different: a near one-second first-run lead converted into Olympic gold under pressure. <\/strong>The fact that Braathen managed to hold on to the majority of his lead on Odermatt despite competing run 2 as 30th skier shows that his first run was not a fluke or stroke of luck but down to skill.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For the Americans, River Radamus finished the race as the top-seeded American, ending up 17th.<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s a tough business,\u201d Radamus said. \u201cI devote my entire life to standing on that podium knowing full well that the odds are against me so it\u2019s difficult on a day like this.\u201dHe added, that\u00a0\u201cit\u2019s a blessing to take part in this and it\u2019s a blessing to be able to dream and to be able to try. I wish I had the best skiing to be on that podium, but I don\u2019t have a lot of regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sarchett improved on his second run to finish 25th in his Olympic debut. <\/strong>\u201cTo be able to do this at 22 I\u2019m really stoked,\u201d Sarchett said. \u201cI had some great turns on the second run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s one final men\u2019s race left on the Olympic alpine calendar: slalom on February 16, while the women compete in GS tomorrow, Sunday, February 15, in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_390975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390975\" style=\"width: 1179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390975 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAALmAQMAAADorrcnAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFBJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgiD\/r25IQAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA8GurGAAHqYpbWAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"742\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=640%2C742&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?w=1179&amp;ssl=1 1179w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=259%2C300&amp;ssl=1 259w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=1036%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1036w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=768%2C890&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=600%2C695&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"742\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390975\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_2267.jpeg?resize=640%2C742&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"742\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jumping for joy: Lucas Braathen wins gold. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What it means: Brazil\u2019s first Olympic medal, and it is gold! | Image: FIS Alpine Milano Cortina 2026 hit the halfway mark Saturday, and the headline moment came from the slopes of Bormio, Italy, where Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered Brazil its first-ever Winter Olympic medal\u2014gold in the men\u2019s giant slalom. And he did it in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1771122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1771122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771122\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1771122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1771122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1771122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}