Very emotional after Brazil’s historic first medal in an edition of the Winter Olympic Games, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, giant slalom champion in alpine skiing in Milan Cortina, said he hopes the feat can inspire a new generation of athletes in the country he chose to adopt.
“Inexplicable. It’s totally inexplicable. I can’t put words to my sensations right now”, began in an interview with SporTV, the Swiss son of a Brazilian mother who started competing in yellow-green colors in mid-2024.
“With everyone watching in Brazil, following me, rooting for me, this could probably be a point of inspiration for children of the next generation, that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you are, your clothes, the color of your skin, what matters is what’s inside here [apontando para o coração]. And I ski with my heart”, said the Olympic champion through tears.
He also said that the fight for the podium in the giant slalom was a real “war”. In the race for first place, the Brazilian left behind the Swiss Marco Odermatt, Olympic champion in Beijing-2022 and one of the favorites in Milan-Cortina, who finished with silver.
“I was pushing, pulling, pulling. Always trying to find the speed, find the flow, to go down at a really fast pace,” said Braathen.
The skier explained that it is necessary to quickly adapt to the changes between the first and second descent, especially in relation to the snow, which is “completely different”, as the competitors go through.
“I found the balance. I was skiing with my heart. And when you ski the way you are, anything is possible”, said the skier, who stopped competing for Norway due to conflicts with the local federation regarding the conduct of his career.
“The only thing that matters to me is that I continue to be who I am. I am the Brazilian skier who became the Olympic champion.”
