Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA) absolutely dominated the first run of the men’s Olympic giant slalom in Bormio on Saturday, posting the fastest time by far (1:13.92).
The Brazilian left his competition in the dust — or rather, in the soft, powdery snow — with the next closest racer trailing by nearly a full second.
Swiss superstar and giant slalom savant Marco Odermatt (SUI) finished well off the lead, which happened to be good enough for second place (+0.95).
Odermatt's fellow countryman Loic Meillard (SUI) secured the third position (+1.57).
Pinheiro Braathen left the starting gate first, so it wasn’t until the next several athletes raced that it became clear how skillfully he attacked the piste.
According to NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, the margin between first and second was the largest after an Olympic men’s giant slalom (GS) Run 1 since 1988.
Typically, tenths of a second — often just hundredths — separate the top competitors. Meillard, who came in third, was over a second-and-a-half behind Pinheiro Braathen. Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT), in seventh, was two seconds off (+2.00).
That kind of gap could be 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, Pinheiro Braathen is firmly in the driver’s seat heading into Run 2.
If the 25-year-old wins gold or even finds himself on the podium, he would become the first athlete — man or woman, in any sport — representing a South American nation to earn a Winter Olympic medal.
Three Americans participated in Saturday's GS and two of them placed within the top 30. River Radamus (USA), who finished fourth in GS at the 2022 Winter Games, snatched 12th (+2.46), qualifying him for Run 2.
In his Olympic debut, 22-year-old Ryder Sarchett (USA) impressed on a difficult course, coming in 29th. He too will compete in the second run.
Kyle Negomir (USA), who nabbed 10th in the men's downhill last weekend, did not finish (DNF'd) his GS Run 1.
Run 2 begins at 7:30 a.m. ET and streams live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.