In a floodlit finale that fused samba flair with Arctic precision, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen etched his name into Alpine skiing folklore, storming to victory in the men’s World Cup slalom opener at Levi and delivering Brazil its maiden top-level triumph. The 25-year-old, competing under the green-and-yellow banner he adopted in a dramatic federation switch, held off a charging field to claim the win by 0.31 seconds over France’s Clément Noël, with Finland’s Eduard Hallberg rounding out the podium in third (+0.57s).
As the echoes of the crowd’s roar faded under the northern lights, American slalom icon Mikaela Shiffrin – fresh off her own dominant Levi victory the day prior – was among the first to celebrate Braathen’s breakthrough. “LUCAAAS PINHEIRO BRAATHEN!!!! 🇧🇷🔥 Claiming his first World Cup win since returning under the Brazilian flag! 💥❄️,” Shiffrin posted on X, her all-caps exuberance capturing the electric buzz. The shoutout from the 30-year-old, who notched her record-extending 102nd career win on Saturday, underscored a rare cross-continental camaraderie in a sport often defined by fierce rivalries.
Braathen’s path to this pinnacle has been anything but linear. Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, the former Viking prodigy burst onto the scene in 2018, amassing five World Cup wins and clinching the 2022/23 slalom crystal globe for Norway. A bitter dispute with the Norwegian Ski Federation over personal sponsorship rights prompted his October 2023 retirement, but by March 2024, he announced a stunning comeback – this time representing Brazil, his mother’s homeland, and becoming the nation’s first Alpine skier on the circuit since 2016. Last season, he notched five podiums but no victories; today, under crisp Lappish skies, he shattered that drought.
Skiing bib 4 on the unforgiving 62-gate Black course, Braathen set the tone in the morning’s first run with a blistering benchmark, leading France’s Olympic champion Noël by 0.41 seconds and Norway’s Timon Haugan by 0.49. The reverse-order second run demanded poise from the chasers, but Braathen – starting atop the standings – unleashed a flawless descent, blending aggressive carving through the steeps with metronomic rhythm in the flats. His combined time sealed the deal, marking Brazil’s inaugural World Cup podium in any Alpine discipline and positioning him as a wildcard medal threat at the looming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
“This is for Brazil – the passion, the support, everything,” Braathen beamed post-race, draped in his nation’s flag as samba beats thumped from the finish area speakers. “I knew it was coming soon, but to do it here, in Levi? It’s surreal. Shiffrin’s words mean the world – she’s the GOAT, and if she’s hyped, I know I’m onto something.” His victory – the first for a non-traditional Alpine powerhouse – injects fresh diversity into a field long dominated by European nations, echoing Shiffrin’s own trailblazing role in elevating U.S. women’s skiing.
Noël, the 28-year-old defending Levi champion, delivered a masterclass in controlled fury for silver, his late-season surge last year yielding four wins. “Lucas was untouchable today – that’s the Braathen we all feared,” Noël conceded with a grin. “I’ll take second and build from here; the globe fight starts now.” Hallberg’s bronze – a career-best from bib 29 – ignited the home crowd, the 22-year-old Finn channeling hometown magic to surge from fifth after the opener. “Skiing for Finland here? Dream come true,” he said, as fans chanted his name amid reindeer-themed festivities.
The Levi weekend – a slalom doubleheader that bookended the season’s technical kickoff – now shifts focus to the overall chase. Shiffrin’s sweep vaults the U.S. atop the women’s standings, while Braathen’s upset catapults him into early slalom contention. For Norway’s “Attacking Vikings,” the sting of a former teammate’s defection lingers, but Haugan’s third in the first run (slipping to sixth overall) signals their depth remains formidable.
As the circuit eyes Killington next weekend, Braathen’s samba-infused ski – complete with post-run dance moves that went viral – promises a season of unpredictability. In Shiffrin’s words, this is more than a win; it’s a revolution on snow. With Milano Cortina 90 days away, the Alpine world braces for more fireworks from the unlikeliest of flags.
