Lucas Pinheiro Braathen
Pinheiro Braathen in 2026 with his gold medal won at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 19 April 2000 Oslo, Norway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Alpine skier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Brazil (since 2024) Norway (2018–2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skiing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines | Slalom, giant slalom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Bærums Skiklub | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | 8 December 2018 (age 18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 2 – (2022, 2026) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 1 (1 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 2 – (2023, 2025) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 7 – (2019–2023, 2025-2026) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 8 – (4 SL, 4 GS) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 25 – (14 SL, 11 GS) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (2nd in 2026) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 2 – (GS – 2026; SL – 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (/ˈluːkəs piˈɲeɾu brah-ten/ ⓘ, born 19 April 2000) is a Norwegian and Brazilian alpine ski racer who specializes in the technical events of slalom and giant slalom. He is the men's giant slalom champion at the 2026 Winter Olympics, becoming the first Brazilian and South American in history to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, as well as the first athlete representing any tropical nation to win a Winter Olympic medal.[1][2]
Until his retirement from World Cup racing in October 2023, he represented Norway in international events. In March 2024, Pinheiro Braathen announced that he would return to the alpine skiing circuit, representing Brazil instead.
Early life
Pinheiro Braathen was born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother on 19 April 2000.[3][4][5] His parents divorced when he was three years old and he went to Brazil with his mother to live in the city of Campinas. Later in his childhood, he moved back to Norway to live with his father while regularly visiting Brazil.[3][6] He grew up speaking Norwegian and Portuguese.[7]
Pinheiro Braathen first skied when he was three or four years old, but he did not start skiing again until he was nine years old.[8] Braathen also played football as a child, though he preferred skiing as it is an individual sport.[9]
Career
From Hokksund, Pinheiro Braathen raced for Norwegian club Bærums SK.[10] At the Junior World Championships in 2019, he finished fourth and eleventh, followed by a silver medal in super-G, and a bronze medal in the combined event. He made his World Cup debut in December 2018 in Val d'Isere, and collected his first points (five) with a 26th-place finish.[11]
Pinheiro Braathen recorded his first victory (and podium) in October 2020 at the opener of the 2020–21 season, a giant slalom in Sölden. In 2022, he won his first slalom at the Lauberhorn race in Wengen, going from 29th place after the first run to first place after the second run, the largest jump to victory at that time.[12]
Pinheiro Braathen announced his retirement from World Cup racing on 27 October 2023, a day before the new season's opening event in Sölden.[13] However, on 7 March 2024, he announced his return to alpine ski racing as a competitor for Brazil instead of Norway.[14][15] On 27 October 2024, exactly a year after he had announced his retirement, he returned at the World Cup giant slalom season opener in Sölden, narrowly finishing in 4th place behind three of his former teammates from Norway and scoring the first ever world cup points for Brazil in alpine skiing.
On 6 February 2026, Pinheiro Braathen participated in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics as the flag bearer of Brazil, alongside Nicole Silveira.[16][17] On 14 February, Braathen arrived in the Milano Cortina 2026 as the second in the slalom, giant slalom and overall rankings after a successful 2025–26 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, behind only skiing superstar Swiss Marco Odermatt. In the giant slalom Braathen put himself in pole position for gold with a leading time of 1:13.92 in the first run, almost a full second faster than second-place Odermatt. Braathen's second run saw him maintain his lead to secure the gold medal in a combined time of 2:25.00, with Odermatt (2:25.58) and Loïc Meillard (2:26.17) of Switzerland taking silver and bronze, respectively.
Braathen's historic victory made him the first Latin American and Brazilian, as well as the first athlete from any tropical nation, to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.[18]
After the Olympics, Pinheiro Braathen competed in the penultimate World Cup event of the season in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. He topped the field in the giant slalom, winning a title in that discipline for the first time while representing Brazil.[19] On the next day he attained another podium with a third-place finish in the slalom.[20]
Next, Pinheiro Braathen competed in the last World Cup event of the season in Lillehammer, Norway. He topped the field in the giant slalom with a total time of 2:20.65, winning the title in that discipline and securing that season's crystal globe on the giant slalom, the first of his career and the first ever for a Brazilian.[21]
Personal life
Pinheiro Braathen speaks Norwegian, Portuguese, English, and German fluently, is a fan of Brazilian musical genres such as bossa nova, and is a supporter of São Paulo Futebol Clube he currently has a home base established inside of Milan Italy, and he says "I owe it all to the winter Olympics for helping me find this new home.[22] Part of his family resides in Paulínia, northwest of the state of São Paulo, while his mother lives in New Zealand.[23]
In June 2025, he made his romantic relationship with Brazilian actress Isadora Cruz public.[24][25]
World Cup results
Season titles
| Season | |
| Discipline | |
| 2023 | Slalom |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Giant slalom |
Season standings
| Season | ||||||||
| Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Parallel | |
| 2019 | 18 | 147 | — | 51 | — | — | — | N/a |
| 2020 | 19 | 27 | 24 | 15 | — | — | — | 10 |
| 2021 | 20 | 43 | — | 15 | — | — | N/a | 18 |
| 2022 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | |
| 2023 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 39 | — | N/a | |
| 2024 | 23 | temporary retirement | ||||||
| 2025 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 5 | — | — | ||
| 2026 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | ||
- Standings through 24 March 2026
Race podiums
| Season | ||||
| Date | Location | Discipline | Place | |
| 2021 | 18 October 2020 | Sölden, Austria | Giant slalom | 1st |
| 2022 | 16 January 2022 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 1st |
| 22 January 2022 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 12 March 2022 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 19 March 2022 | Courchevel, France | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 2023 | 11 December 2022 | Val d'Isère, France | Slalom | 1st |
| 18 December 2022 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | 1st | |
| 8 January 2023 | Adelboden, Switzerland | Slalom | 1st | |
| 15 January 2023 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 22 January 2023 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 24 January 2023 | Schladming, Austria | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 19 March 2023 | Soldeu, Andorra | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 2025 | 9 December 2024 | Beaver Creek, United States | Giant slalom | 2nd |
| 11 January 2025 | Adelboden, Switzerland | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 26 January 2025 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 1 March 2025 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 16 March 2025 | Hafjell, Norway | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 2026 | 16 November 2025 | Levi, Finland | Slalom | 1st |
| 21 December 2025 | Alta Badia, Italy | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 10 January 2026 | Adelboden, Switzerland | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 18 January 2026 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 27 January 2026 | Schladming, Austria | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 7 March 2026 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | 1st | |
| 8 March 2026 | Slalom | 3rd | ||
| 24 March 2026 | Hafjell, Norway | Giant slalom | 1st |
World Championship results
| Year | |||||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team combined |
Parallel | Team event | |
| Representing Norway | |||||||||
| 2023 | 22 | 7 | — | — | — | — | N/a | — | — |
| Representing Brazil | |||||||||
| 2025 | 24 | 13 | 14 | — | — | N/a | — | N/a | — |
Olympic results
| Year | ||||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team combined |
Team event | |
| Representing Norway | ||||||||
| 2022 | 21 | DNF1 | DNF2 | — | — | — | N/a | — |
| Representing Brazil | ||||||||
| 2026 | 25 | DNF1 | 1 | — | — | N/a | — | N/a |
References
- ^ Miguel Angel Lara (14 February 2026). "El oro 'mais lindo': Lucas Pinheiro mete a Brasil en la historia de los Juegos de Invierno". MARCA (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Jogos de Inverno: Lucas Pinheiro conquista ouro inédito para o Brasil". Metrópoles. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ a b "For Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the sky is the limit". Red Bull. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "BRAATHEN Lucas - Athlete Information". www.fis-ski.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Five things you didn't know about alpine ski prodigy Lucas Braathen". International Olympic Committee. 9 December 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Longo, Gustavo. "Lucas Braathen ama o Brasil, mas burocracia impede 'conexão'". Olimpíada Todo Dia (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Karlson Nielsen, Marthe (27 October 2023). "Lucas Braathen: - Var en "misfit"". Se og Hør (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Han er halvt brasiliansk og skulle bli fotballproff. Så la pappa en plan". www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 26 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Lucas Braathen on learning from legends, giving up on football, and comparisons with Erling Haaland". Eurosport. 14 October 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Da de norske profilene sviktet, ble en ukjent 19-åring redningen: – En helt uvirkelig følelse". www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 27 October 2019. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- ^ "Braathen stuns field to win Wengen slalom". 16 January 2022. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ "Lucas Braathen announces retirement". 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Fixiert: Lucas Braathen fährt künftig für Brasilien". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Skiing medal prospect Lucas Braathen switches from Norway to Brazil". Associated Press. 7 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ "All Flagbearers Named for Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Milano Cortina 2026, Moncler returns to the Winter Olympics with Team Brazil". nss sports. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Winter Olympics 2026: Pinheiro Braathen strikes gold for Brazil's first ever medal – live". the guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ Federation, International Ski and Snowboard. "Pinheiro Braathen puts pressure on Odermatt with crucial GS win". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ Federation, International Ski and Snowboard. "Advantage McGrath in battle for Slalom Globe after brilliant Kranjska Gora win". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "Emotional Pinheiro Braathen makes Brazilian ski history by sealing GS globe". FIS-Ski.com. International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ ESPN.com.br (14 February 2026). "Lucas Pinheiro Braathen: quem é o 1º medalhista do Brasil e da América do Sul nas Olimpíadas de Inverno" [Lucas Pinheiro Braathen: who is the first medalist from Brazil and South America at the Winter Olympics?]. ESPN.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Vídeo: família de Lucas Pinheiro no Brasil se emociona com ouro inédito" [Video: Lucas Pinheiro's family in Brazil is moved by his unprecedented gold medal.]. ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ "Isadora Cruz assume relacionamento com esquiador Lucas Braathen com fotos românticas de viagem". Quem (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 June 2025. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ Steiner, Jasmin (17 June 2025). "Braathen: „Herz ist erfüllt, ich bin sehr dankbar"". Kronen Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
External links
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at FIS (alpine)
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Olympics.com
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Olympedia
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at InterSportStats
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Ski-DB Alpine Ski Database (Norway)
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Ski-DB Alpine Ski Database (Brazil)
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Team Norway (in Norwegian)
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen at Milano Cortina 2026
- Lucas Pinheiro Braathen on Instagram