Brazil's First World Cup Ski Winner Eyes Olympic Gold

When Lucas Pinheiro Braathen clicked out of his skis in Finland last November and sank to his knees, he wasn't just celebrating a race win. He was giving Brazil its first ever Alpine skiing World Cup victory, proving that winter sports magic can happen anywhere.

The 25-year-old slalom specialist was born in Norway but chose to represent his mother's homeland of Brazil after stepping away from skiing in 2023. His message when he returned to competition was simple: "The time has come, Brazil. Let's Dance."

Now he's making good on that promise. In Levi, Finland, he beat Olympic champion Clement Noel to claim the top spot, then draped himself in Brazil's green and yellow colors. The victory sent shockwaves through a nation of 200 million people who've never had a winter sports hero to call their own.

Pinheiro Braathen brings something different to Alpine skiing. Yes, he has the focus of Norway's elite racers, but he also moonlights as a DJ, fashion model, and clothing designer. He spent his early childhood in Brazil and brings what he calls "the explosiveness of a Brazilian" to every run down the mountain.

His path here wasn't easy. He walked away from skiing as the reigning World Cup slalom champion after a dispute with Norway's federation over image rights. "I reached a point where I felt I had lost the reason why I began skiing," he explained.

The break helped him rediscover his passion. Now based in Milan with his father Bjorn coaching him, Pinheiro Braathen is currently second in the overall World Cup standings. He even scored second place in a giant slalom race in Switzerland last week, proving his skills extend beyond his specialty.

The Ripple Effect

Brazil has zero winter sports tradition and no snow sports infrastructure. But Pinheiro Braathen saw opportunity where others saw obstacles. "The possibility of representing 200 million people... that is something I look at today as perhaps one of the most beautiful aspects of this project," he said.

His success is already changing perceptions. Kids in Rio and São Paulo now have a winter Olympian to look up to alongside their soccer heroes. Other warm-weather nations are watching too, seeing proof that Olympic dreams aren't limited by geography or tradition.

When Pinheiro Braathen races slalom at the Milano-Cortina Olympics next month, he'll be chasing Brazil's first Winter Olympics medal in Alpine skiing. If he stands on that podium and breaks into his trademark samba celebration, it will be a win that transcends sports.

A nation known for beaches and soccer might soon be celebrating an Olympic gold medal on snow.