After building a huge early lead, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) held on in Saturday's men’s giant slalom in Bormio to win his first-career Olympic gold medal. He posted a combined time of 2:25.00.
With the victory, Pinheiro Braathen became the first athlete — man or woman, in any sport — representing a South American nation to earn a Winter Olympic medal.
Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt (SUI) secured his second silver of the 2026 Milan Cortina Games (+0.58). Odi, the favorite in three Alpine skiing disciplines (downhill, super-G and giant slalom) coming into the Olympics, leaves Bormio with a trio of medals, but no gold.
“If you're not satisfied with three medals, then you have a problem,” the 28-year-old told Reuters. “Of course it would have been nice to have a gold medal, but I have one at home, and that's why this is now a nice collection.”
Odermatt's fellow countryman Loic Meillard (SUI) finished 3rd (+1.17). The Swiss duo claimed silver in Monday's team combined.
Saturday's race, however, belonged to Pinheiro Braathen from the jump.
Wearing bib No. 1, the Brazilian exploded out of the starting gate and crushed his competition in one of the more lopsided giant slalom (GS) Run 1s you'll see. The next closest racer, Odermatt, trailed by nearly a full second.
According to NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, the margin between 1st and 2nd was the largest in an Olympic men’s GS Run 1 since 1988.
Typically, tenths of a second — often just hundredths — separate the top competitors. Meillard, who posted the third quickest Run 1 time, was over a second-and-a-half behind Pinheiro Braathen. Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT), in 7th, was two seconds off (+2.00).
That kind of gap was perhaps the result of a stellar ski by Pinheiro Braathen, deteriorating course conditions, another unknown variable, or even a combination of the three.
No matter how you slice it, the 25-year-old sat firmly in the driver’s seat at the outset of Run 2, and he refused to ever let go of the wheel. There was a moment he slipped and almost fell in Sector 3, but even through the wet, heavy snow, Pinheiro Braathen held on to complete the gold medal-worthy performance.
"I've done so much, I've sacrificed so much by daring to pave my own way in order to reach my own dream," an emotional Pinheiro Braathen told Heather Cox post-race. "Not others' dream, my dream. And this is my dream.
"It cost everything, but we finished off on top. I am so grateful to everyone around me. My friends, my family, my team, the country of Brazil have supported me day in and day out, ever since I started representing."
Born in Oslo, Norway, Pinheiro Braathen wore the Scandinavian country's colors for the first few years of his professional career, claiming five World Cup victories. Following a dispute with the Norwegian federation over sponsorship concerns, he decided to retire, missing the 2023-24 World Cup season. In March of 2024, he announced his return to the sport, and that he would be switching allegiances to Brazil (his mom is Brazilian).
Over the course of the 2025-26 Cup season, Pinheiro Braathen picked up a slalom win and collected three straight GS runner-ups before the 2026 Winter Games.
He couldn't have peaked at a better time.
Three Americans participated in Saturday's GS, and two of them placed within the top 30.
River Radamus (USA), who finished 4th in GS at the 2022 Winter Games, nabbed 17th (+2.96).
"It's a tough business," Radamus said. "I devote my entire life to stand on that podium there knowing full well that the odds are against me every day. It's difficult on a day like this. You dream big, you want to see it happen. I'm glad that I tried. I wish I could be standing on that podium but I don't have a lot of regrets. It's a mixed day, but I'm just glad to be here."
Making his Olympic debut, 22-year-old Ryder Sarchett (USA) came in 25th (+5.11).
Kyle Negomir (USA), who took 10th in the men's downhill last weekend, did not finish (DNF'd) his GS Run 1.
The Olympic giant slalom action returns on Sunday when Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Paula Moltzan (USA) and the world’s top technical specialists take on the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre course in Cortina. Run 1 starts at 4 a.m. ET, followed by Run 2 at 7:30 a.m. ET. Both runs stream live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.