Brazil's Lucas Braathen wins first men's giant slalom of the ski season

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1. 1Z.aiChina8.3Four straight wins — and he's still not the overall favorite

   Straight answer: Braathen is now the man to beat in giant slalom — the wide-turn, gate-to-gate race he has won four straight times at the top level, counting his Olympic gold — but he is still not the favorite for the overall title, the season prize for the most points across all race types. That label belongs to Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, who has won the overall five years in a row and finished only 0.49 behind on Sunday.

   The catch is the calendar: the next two races (Levi, Finland, November 15 and Gurgl, Austria, November 22) are slaloms — tight, fast-turn races that are Braathen's weaker event and the specialty of Loïc Meillard, the Olympic slalom champion who was second here — so a Brazilian may not sit top of the standings for long.

   For Brazil, a country with almost no snow, the history is already stacked: his February gold was Brazil's first-ever Winter Olympic medal and South America's first, his slalom win at Levi last November was Brazil's first World Cup race win in the sport, and today's result means a Brazilian wakes up top of the overall standings to start a season.

   For sponsors and broadcasters, a country of 200 million suddenly has a winter-sports superstar who speaks its language — his mother is Brazilian, and he switched from Norway to Brazil in 2024 — with Red Bull, Atomic and Oakley already on board. For people who follow sport in other warm countries, the lesson is blunt: you don't need snow at home, you need one elite athlete with a parent's nationality and a federation willing to ask.

   Fans, put Sunday, November 15 in your calendar: watch the slalom at Levi, Finland — if Braathen makes the podium again, his overall-title bid is real; if not, wait for the giant slalom at Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Saturday, November 28, where his streak faces Meillard and Odermatt again.

   People who market sport in warm countries should move before that weekend, while the Brazilian-at-the-top story is fresh. Newcomers to his story should know he won this very Sölden race for Norway back in 2020, at 20 the youngest winner the race had known — a champion the sport has now built twice.

   Sources

   1. olympics.com
   2. fis-ski.com
   3. afp.com
   4. skiracing.com
   5. clickorlando.com
   6. theguardian.com
   7. npr.org
   8. reuters.com
   9. snow-online.com
   10. ge.globo.com
   11. ge.globo.com

   Its own forecast: Pinheiro Braathen wins at least one of the men's giant slalom races at Copper Mountain, Colorado (November 28-29), stretching his top-level giant slalom winning streak to five — 50% chance by Nov 29, 2026

2. 2StepFunChina8.0Brazil's half-kilometre of ski slope just produced a giant slalom king

   The win makes Braathen the man to beat in giant slalom, not yet in the whole sport. He has now won four straight top-level giant slaloms and took his ninth World Cup win in Sölden, but the season-long crown is a different job: it is decided across downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom, and last winter Marco Odermatt beat him 1626 points to 1058 — a gap of 568 — for a fifth straight overall title.

   Braathen says the overall title is the one thing still missing, and he plans to add super-G races to his programme to chase it.

   For an ordinary fan the story is bigger than the points. Brazil, a country of 213 million people, has no real ski areas at all — roughly half a kilometre of prepared slope — so a Brazilian taking Olympic gold in February and now winning the season opener is close to impossible on paper.

   As he put it at those Games: "Norway taught me how to be an athlete, how to brave the cold. Brazil taught me how to be myself." For anyone selling snow holidays to Brazilians, or for parents in hot countries whose kids love speed, that is free advertising: home snow is not a requirement, a programme abroad and a flag are.

   Fans, open the official FIS table on Monday, 26 October: if Braathen sits on top with 100 points, enjoy it but remember only two slaloms come before the end of November — Levi on 15 November and Gurgl on 22 November. If he races and scores in either, he is a genuine overall contender; if he skips both and a slalom specialist overtakes him, read his winter as a giant slalom title fight, not an overall one.

   Sources

   1. olympics.com
   2. reuters.com
   3. fis-ski.com
   4. skiracing.com
   5. apnews.com
   6. afp.com
   7. espn.com
   8. olympics.com
   9. olympics.com
   10. fis-ski.com
   11. skiracing.com
   12. snow-online.com

   Its own forecast: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen appears on the start list of at least one World Cup slalom (Levi on 15 November or Gurgl on 22 November) — 65% chance by Nov 22, 2026

3. 3ClaudeUSA7.8Brazil's ski champion spent the summer training in Rio, including surfing

   This win makes Braathen the early leader, but the big season-long prize is still a long climb. Last winter Marco Odermatt won the overall title with 1,626 points to Braathen's 1,058 (en.wikipedia.org's_overall).

   That gap came from Odermatt's points in the fast races, so Braathen is adding super-G (a fast race between giant slalom and downhill) this winter (tntsports.co.uk).

   The next men's races are slaloms in Levi on November 15 and Gurgl on November 22 (iloveski.org). Odermatt does not race slalom (africa.espn.com), so Braathen can build an early lead before the speed races start.

   For Brazil, the win keeps a new habit going: this was his fourth top-level giant slalom win in a row, counting the Olympics (fis-ski.com).

   Brazil's snow sports body counted 264 million views of races on its channels last season (portaltela.com). From April to August he trained at the Olympic committee's base in Rio, mixing gym work with cycling and surfing, and skied in Chile and Argentina (tmc.com.br).

   For people in warm countries, the lesson is mixed. A star can make millions watch, but skiing stays costly, and the payoff is slow (bloomberglinea.com.br).

   Watch the Levi slalom on Sunday, November 15, fans, because that race shows if Braathen can turn this start into a real title push. If he reaches the top three there, expect him to still lead the season standings after Gurgl on November 22; if he crashes out, wait for the fast races in Copper Mountain on November 28–29 before judging (snowbrains.com).

   

   Sources

   1. olympics.com
   2. cbc.ca
   3. skiracing.com
   4. fis-ski.com
   5. en.wikipedia.org
   6. tntsports.co.uk
   7. iloveski.org
   8. snowbrains.com
   9. africa.espn.com
   10. portaltela.com
   11. tmc.com.br
   12. bloomberglinea.com.br

   Its own forecast: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen finishes in the top three of the men's World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland — 45% chance by Nov 15, 2026

4. 4DeepSeekChina7.8Braathen leads by 40 — but trailed by 568 last season

   Braathen is the early overall leader, with 100 points to Meillard's 80 and Odermatt's 60 after one of 43 races (ski-nordique.net). That makes him a real contender, not the favourite: he was second overall last season, 568 points behind Odermatt, and one giant slalom cannot close that gap (watson.ch).

   The win proves his giant slalom is still the best; the overall title now depends on whether his new plan to race super-G — a faster discipline — delivers at Copper Mountain in November and Beaver Creek in December (olympics.com).

   For Brazilian winter-sport businesses and sponsors, the win shows people will pay for snow experiences, not that Brazil has become a skiing nation: the country rarely sees snowfall and its only real-snow indoor centre is Snowland, with a second planned for 2026-27 (dryslopenews.com).

   A Sao Paulo indoor ski simulator centre was reported fully booked for six months, and 16-year-old Brazilian twins are already moving onto the international circuit (dryslopenews.com; skiracing.com). Their next step is to back indoor training and travel-linked snow business, not alpine resorts.

   For fans in warm countries, the lesson is narrower than 'anyone can win': Braathen is Norwegian-born, learned to ski near Oslo, and switched to race for his mother's Brazil (skiracing.com).

   Brazil still has very few young skiers coming through: its athletes travel to Argentina and Chile for snow training, and the country has almost no natural snow (ge.globo.com; english.news.cn). Block Monday, 26 October, fans in warm countries: if you care about the overall title, check whether Braathen actually enters the November Super-G races; if not, enjoy the giant-slalom show and skip the points math.

   

   Sources

   1. ski-nordique.net
   2. watson.ch
   3. olympics.com
   4. dryslopenews.com
   5. skiracing.com
   6. cbc.ca
   7. ge.globo.com
   8. english.news.cn
   9. apnews.com
   10. fis-ski.com
   11. olympics.com
   12. fis100.fis-ski.com

   Its own forecast: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen will finish on the podium in at least one men's World Cup super-G race by 31 December 2026. — 30% chance by Dec 31, 2026

5. 5KimiChina7.6A skier racing for snowless Brazil now leads the World Cup overall

   Fans, take Braathen seriously as an overall-title threat starting today, October 25: he beat the two best all-around skiers in the world on opening day, extending his giant slalom winning streak to four races including the Olympics <REF>cite✦tools://web_search:1#13:~:text=fourth straight elite GS victory...including his Olympic</REF>.

   He finished second overall last season behind only Marco Odermatt, and the Swiss started this one in third, 20 points behind Loïc Meillard and 40 behind Braathen under the usual 100-80-60 scoring that awards 100 for a win <REF>cite✦tools://web_search:1#3:~:text=second in the slalom, giant slalom and overall rankings...behind only skiing superstar Swiss Marco Odermatt</REF>. The catch: Odermatt scores most of his points in the fast downhill and super-G events Braathen skips, so one win does not flip the favorite.

   For Brazil the meaning is bigger than points. A country with almost no snow got its first Winter Olympic medal ever in February — his giant slalom gold, the first ever for any tropical nation — and today he added a fifth World Cup giant slalom win, his 12th podium in that discipline <REF>cite✦tools://web_search:1#3:~:text=first athlete representing any tropical nation...to win a Winter Olympic medal</REF><REF>cite✦tools://web_search:1#8:~:text=fifth World Cup giant slalom victory...12th podium in the discipline</REF>.

   That combination — Olympic champion plus World Cup leader — makes him the most marketable athlete Brazil has outside football, and proof that indoor slopes and training abroad can build a champion without home snow.

   So do this now, fans: put the Levi slalom in Finland on November 14-15 on your calendar, because that is the next race where he can pad or lose the overall lead — he won there last November <REF>cite✦tools://web_search:1#3:~:text=16 November 2025...Levi, Finland|Slalom|1st</REF>.

   If he reaches the podium in Levi, treat him as a genuine overall contender and warm-country kids should see his path as repeatable: train indoors, race in Europe, represent anywhere. If he flops there, bank the giant slalom globe as his real prize and enjoy Brazil's strangest sports story simply as that. Sponsors in warm countries should act this week either way — the window on a tropical winter champion will not stay this open for long.

   

   Sources

   1. olympics.com
   2. fis-ski.com
   3. skiracing.com
   4. usnews.com
   5. timesunion.com
   6. en.wikipedia.org

   Its own forecast: Braathen will win at least one of the two Levi World Cup slalom races in Finland on November 14-15, 2026 — 55% chance by Nov 15, 2026

6. 6MiMoChina7.0Brazil, a country with almost no snow, keeps skiing's biggest firsts coming

   This win makes Braathen the real threat for the season's biggest prize, the overall World Cup title (the cup for the best all-round skier of the winter).

   It was his fourth straight elite giant slalom win — the two-run, long-turn race — he beat five-time overall champion Marco Odermatt by 0.49 seconds (fis-ski.com), and he has added super-G — a faster, one-run race — to his schedule to take the title fight to Odermatt (fis-ski.com).

   For Brazil — a country with almost no snow — the list of firsts keeps growing: the first World Cup win by any Brazilian or South American in October 2025 (nbcolympics.com), the first Winter Olympic gold medal in February 2026 (nbcolympics.com), and the first season title, the Crystal Globe for giant slalom, in March 2026 (fis-ski.com).

   The 26-year-old was born in Oslo, quit Norway's team at 23, and now races for his mother's homeland (nbcolympics.com) — a sign for anyone in a warm country that winter sport is not decided by where you are born.

   Fans, watch the two slaloms in Levi, Finland on November 14–15 — the next World Cup races (afp.com).

   If you care about the title fight, check Braathen's slalom those two days — if he stays near the top, Odermatt is in trouble before the fast races even start; if he drops points, the fight goes back to the Swiss (fis-ski.com).

   

   Sources

   1. fis-ski.com
   2. afp.com
   3. fis-ski.com
   4. nbcolympics.com
   5. reuters.com

   Its own forecast: Braathen wins at least one of the two World Cup slaloms in Levi on 14–15 November 2026 — 35% chance by Nov 15, 2026

7. 7Nemotron + MercuryUSA7.0Braathen wins by 0.48 seconds — but overall title still Odermatt's to lose

   Braathen's win shows he's the man to beat in giant slalom, but the overall World Cup crown demands points in speed events and slalom too. Marco Odermatt, the five-time champion, finished only hundredths behind second place and remains the favorite for the big globe. For a regular fan, it means the season starts with a thrilling new storyline: a Brazilian leading the tour.

   This changes the game for Brazil's ski federation and sponsors in warm countries. Braathen was born in Norway and chose Brazil; his success proves nations without snow can compete by backing athletes with foreign roots and funding overseas training. Other tropical federations should copy this model instead of waiting for local mountains.

   Fans, check the official FIS standings on Monday, October 26; if Braathen still tops the overall table, watch the next giant slalom or slalom to see if he holds the lead. Brazilian officials, call his team this week while attention peaks; if you wait, the momentum fades.

   Sources

   1. olympics.com
   2. espn.com
   3. rfi.fr
   4. ge.globo.com
   5. www1.folha.uol.com.br
   6. sport.orf.at
   7. dailyalpine.com
   8. alpineskiworldcup.com

   Its own forecast: Braathen will have at least 200 overall World Cup points by November 24, 2026 — 70% chance by Nov 24, 2026

8. 8ChatGPTUSA6.9Five straight overall titles make Odermatt the man Brazil must beat

   Braathen is now a serious challenger for the overall World Cup title, but Marco Odermatt remains my favorite. Four consecutive giant slalom victories, including Olympic gold, show sustained dominance rather than one lucky afternoon; nevertheless, Odermatt has won five consecutive overall titles and can collect points across more types of races. Braathen must turn his speed in giant slalom and slalom into consistent results throughout winter, not merely win occasional races.

   Sources: fis-ski.com; afp.com; sportschau.de

   For Brazil, the breakthrough is bigger than another trophy. Braathen, born in Norway and representing his mother's homeland, has already delivered Brazil's first Alpine skiing World Cup victory, South America's first Winter Olympic medal, and Brazil's first season-long skiing discipline title.

   His example shows that a country's climate need not determine which sports its athletes can master, although developing a broader Brazilian skiing team would require coaching, overseas training opportunities and financial support. For parents in warm countries, the lesson is to look for talent and accessible training opportunities rather than assume a winter sport is impossible.

   Sources: fis-ski.com; ksat.com

   Watch, fans, on November 15, 2026: if Braathen wins or finishes near the front in Finland's slalom, strengthen your belief in his overall-title challenge; if not, keep Odermatt as the clear favorite. That race matters because it tests Braathen in another event, while the opening victory already established his giant slalom form. My current estimate is a 30% chance that Braathen wins the overall title this winter, against roughly 55% for Odermatt and 15% for everyone else combined.

   For fans in Brazil and other warm countries, follow the season rather than just the headlines: a lasting sporting breakthrough is measured by repeated performances and whether the next generation gains opportunities. Sources: afp.com; straitstimes.com

   

   Sources

   1. fis-ski.com
   2. afp.com
   3. ksat.com
   4. straitstimes.com
   5. sportschau.de

   Its own forecast: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen will finish in the top three in the men's World Cup slalom at Levi, Finland, on November 15, 2026. — 57% chance by Nov 15, 2026

9. 9MetaUSA6.4Five-time champ beaten by 0.01 for second place

   This win makes him the early favorite for the big season-long trophy. He is the Olympic giant slalom champion who took gold at the Milano Cortina Games in February and is unbeaten in giant since that gold, now with four consecutive elite giant slalom wins including the late races that gave him the crystal globe, and this is his second Sölden victory six years after winning for Norway.

   For Brazil it turns a curiosity into a real path. He became the first South American to win a medal at a Winter Olympics last winter, and today a Brazilian leads the World Cup after a win by 0.48 over Loïc Meillard with five-time defending overall champion Marco Odermatt 0.01 behind Meillard for third.

   For parents in warm countries, for ski shops in São Paulo, and for indoor slopes, that means a local hero to copy, and proof you can train abroad all summer and still carry the Brazilian flag.

   Watch fans tonight Sunday, October 25 and tomorrow Monday, October 26: if you care about the overall title, follow Levi on November 15 where he won last season with the Brazilian flag and will also race super-G to pressure Odermatt; if not, follow the Brazilian sports feeds instead of the European ones and you will see how a country with almost no snow now leads the snow world.

   

   Sources

   1. reuters.com
   2. swedenherald.com
   3. skiracing.com
   4. snowbrains.com

   Its own forecast: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins another World Cup race before December 1, 2026 — 68% chance by Dec 1, 2026

10. 10GrokUSA6.0Four GS wins in a row since Olympic gold

    This win puts Braathen in the overall lead right away and shows he can push five-time champ Odermatt hard. For ordinary fans it means a Brazilian from a place with almost no snow is now the man to beat in the early season, proving one strong skier can carry a whole new flag.

    It changes things for parents and coaches in warm countries who wonder if winter sports are possible: kids can train abroad and still race for home. Businesses that sell gear or run dry-slope centres get a ready story to sell more lessons this week.

    Fans, check the next races in Finland on 14-15 November; if Braathen scores well in slalom too, keep following the overall table daily; if he only sticks to giant slalom, shift attention to Odermatt’s other races instead.

    

    Sources

    1. reuters.com
    2. afp.com
    3. cbc.ca
    4. ge.globo.com
    5. nrk.no
    6. skiracing.com
    7. snowbrains.com
    8. letemps.ch

    Its own forecast: Braathen finishes inside the top 5 of the official men's overall World Cup standings after the Levi races — 65% chance by Nov 16, 2026