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Lucas Braathen Delivers Brazil’s First Winter Olympic Gold, Vows to Build Sport After Slalom Crash

The Brazil switch followed a dispute in Norway, bringing a R$350,000 COB gold bonus.

Overview

  • Braathen won the giant slalom at Milan-Cortina with a combined 2:25.00, finishing 0.58 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt.
  • His victory marked the first Winter Olympic gold for Brazil and for South America in the Games’ history.
  • Two days after the gold, he crashed in the first run of the slalom under heavy snowfall and did not finish.
  • He said he wants to inspire a new generation in Brazil and expressed enthusiasm to work with the Brazilian Olympic Committee to grow the sport.
  • The COB awards R$350,000 untaxed for gold—R$210,000 for silver and R$140,000 for bronze—policies that contrast with Norway’s lack of podium bonuses; Braathen, born in Oslo to a Brazilian mother, began representing Brazil in October 2024 after a federation dispute.