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Lucas Pinheiro Braathen gave Brazil its first medal at the Winter Olympics by winning gold in the men’s giant slalom on Saturday, February 14
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Braassen beat Swiss gold medal favorite Marco Odermatt by 0.58 seconds, while fellow Swiss Loic Meillard took the bronze.
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After winning, Brason said he “can’t even grasp reality” and hoped he could “motivate some kids”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won giant slalom gold for Brazil, its first medal at the Winter Olympics.
Pinheiro Braathen, 25, crossed the finish line at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio on Saturday, February 14, in 2 minutes and 25 seconds, just 0.58 seconds ahead of Swiss Marco Odermatt, who was widely tipped to win gold in the race.
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Pinheiro Braathen represented Norway at the 2022 Beijing Olympics but has since switched his allegiance to Brazil, his mother’s home country and where he fell in love with skiing as a child.
After his historic victory, the athlete told reporters that he “can’t even fathom the reality that I’m standing here right now.”
“I was just trying to get some emotion here and translate it into words, even though that’s absolutely impossible,” he said.
Dimita Dilkov/AFP Photo: Getty
Pinheiro Braathen, who failed to finish the Beijing race, said he “skied completely according to my gut and my heart, and that’s why I became an Olympic champion.”
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“It’s not about the medals, it’s not about the history that I have the potential to write,” he said. “I just want to ski like I do. I know if I do it my best, I can be the best in the world.”
The gold medalist, who collapsed to the ground in emotion after crossing the finish line, hoped his victory “will inspire some kids” to pursue their goals.
“No matter what they wear, no matter what they look like, no matter where they come from, they can follow their dreams and be who they are,” he said. “Because that is the true source of happiness in life.”
“Somehow we knew Lucas could beat himself in the second round, having a one-second advantage after his amazing first round, but we still tried to attack,” silver medalist Odermatt told reporters of losing the gold to Pinheiro Braathen.
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“We did it and all three Swiss racers gave us the green light. We were also hoping for a triple victory of course, but Lucas handled it well and slipped away,” said Odermatt. 28.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit people.com for ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games on NBC and Peacock starting February 6.
Read the original article on People
