Day 10 at the Winter Olympics: Brazil Just Shocked the World
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen stuns the world, defeats Marco Odermatt, and delivers South America’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
That’s a name that will live forever in South American Winter Olympics history.
With a stunning performance in the men’s giant slalom, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered Brazil its first-ever medal at the Winter Olympics. Not only that, he became the first athlete from South America to stand on a Winter Games podium.
Let that sink in for a second.
Born and raised in Norway, Braathen previously competed under the Norwegian flag before switching allegiance to Brazil, his mother’s home country. The decision raised eyebrows at the time. Now, it looks visionary.
He posted a two-run combined time of 2:25.00, holding off Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt, who entered the event as the clear favorite. Odermatt finished in 2:25.58 and had to settle for silver. Fellow Swiss skier Loïc Meillard claimed bronze in 2:26.17.
“It’s a moment that’s hard to grasp, even though it’s crystal clear that you are officially the Olympic champion,” Braathen said afterward. “Even though I had such faith and I knew that this was written for me, it is still so incredible to live that dream turned reality. I couldn’t quite grasp it.”
And honestly, neither could anyone watching.
Brazil has competed in every Winter Olympics since 1992, but medals always felt like a distant dream. Before Braathen’s breakthrough, the country’s best result was a ninth-place finish by Isabel Clark in women’s snowboard cross at the 2006 Games.
This was different.
Braathen dominated the field. Only seven skiers finished within two seconds of his pace across both runs. He carried a slim advantage into his second run, and while there were a few nervous, slightly ragged turns down the stretch, he never lost control of the moment. He crossed the line 0.58 seconds ahead of Odermatt and made history.
For Brazil. For South America. For the sport.
This was a breakthrough.
Around the Games: What’s Up Next (EST)
Biathlon – 5:15 AM
Freestyle Skiing – 5:46 AM
Cross-Country Skiing – 6:00 AM
Alpine Skiing – 7:30 AM
Snowboard – 8:35 AM
Speed Skating – 11:03 AM
Skeleton – 12:00 PM
Ski Jumping – 1:57 PM
And that’s it for this one. What are your predictions for Day 7? Put them down in the comments below.
As always, if you have any questions about the Winter Olympics, thoughts on the coverage, or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments or DM me. I’m always happy to answer questions.
I know I’m missing a section and missed the last couple of days. Super sorry about that. Hopefully, we can get a little consistency the rest of the way!
I’ll be back tomorrow with what actually mattered.