Brazilian skier out to make history

When Lucas Pinheiro Braathen tells people in Brazil that he represents the country in Alpine skiing, he says they don't believe him.

They just might if he wins a first medal for Brazil at next month's Winter Olympics.

"When I meet someone new (in Brazil) … it's always this mind-blowing moment, and it always sparks a very interesting conversation," Pinheiro Braathen said with a smile in a recent interview in Milan.

"And, funny enough, I actually think it's those interactions that maybe prove the most how fulfilling it is for me to represent Brazil in something like skiing, because it just shows me how foreign it is. So that's really fun."

If Pinheiro Braathen does finish on the podium, it would also be a first Winter Olympics medal for any South American country, something he wasn't aware of.

"I mean, thanks. You just added a whole other layer of pressure, so I'll happily bring that along," he laughed. "The greater the challenge, the greater the difference that I can bring, and I believe the more pressure you feel, the bigger the difference that you can create."

Pinheiro Braathen's mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He had raced for Norway until abruptly retiring on the eve of the 2024 season, only to come back a year later representing Brazil.

The 2023 World Cup slalom champion has already racked up a series of firsts under his new flag, becoming the first Brazilian skier to finish on a World Cup podium last year, before claiming the country's first victory this season to add to his five for Norway.

"I simply try to capitalize off of that pressure and channel it into my performance, because, yes, it makes the days leading into the competition extremely challenging when you know you have something greater to live up to, rather than just the possibility of a great result," Pinheiro Braathen said.

"But, it is exactly that which enables you to become the version of yourself where you can beat every single other athlete at that start gate. And, so, as I said, pressure is privilege. It is my most important currency."

Snow samba

Pinheiro Braathen likes to entertain. When he got his first podium result for Brazil, he celebrated with a samba dance. His reaction after claiming his first win was more visceral, as he fell to his knees with both arms in the air and screamed "yeah!"

The 25-year-old admits he has no clue what he would do if he was to succeed in Bormio, where the men's Alpine ski racing will take place at the Olympics.

"If you achieve immense success in something that you've dedicated your life to, at least for me, it is impossible to curate what those moments look like," Pinheiro Braathen said. "It is truly whatever you feel that sees the light of day. That's what I think is so beautiful about those moments, and it is simply what I chase every single day waking up — yet another day getting to experience that feeling."

Pinheiro Braathen is one of skiing's most vibrant personalities, known for painting his fingernails and having a taste for fashion. He brings to the slopes the energy of Brazil and the discipline of Norway, having spent much of his childhood in both countries.

"I'm a person of cultural duality," he said. "Two perspectives always presented from birth, and so, for me, I always find that I've never been living a life where I've only been presented with one reality, one culture or one way of living. It's always been these polar opposites, and, so, I think that has shaped me to become who I am today and how I want to live my life."

Pinheiro Braathen has a close relationship with his father, Bjorn Braathen. So much so that he named the reindeer he won as part of the traditional winner's prize at the World Cup in Levi after him.

It was his father who introduced him to skiing, when he was around four or five, though Pinheiro Braathen didn't take to it initially.

"I bought everything for him, like shoes, boots and skis — everything — and we went out and he would complain the whole time," Braathen senior said.

"Like, 'I'm cold, I'm not cut out for this, I'm freezing,' and, 'I'm Brazilian and this is not for me.'"

A love for the sport eventually developed. Braathen senior, who also serves as his son's team manager, doesn't mind that his son switched allegiances.

"As a Norwegian, people expect me to feel very bad about that, but I don't," he said. "It's my son, and I just want him to be happy."