sports
February 15, 2026
First Winter Olympics Champion in South American History: Samba on the Track in Italy
Lukaš Pinjeiro Braten made history by winning the first Winter Olympics medal in history for a South American country - and it was gold.
TL;DR
- Lukaš Pinjeiro Braten won the first Winter Olympics gold medal in history for a South American country, representing Brazil.
- Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and Brazilian mother, Braten previously skied for Norway and won World Cup medals.
- He retired temporarily in 2023, citing a loss of joy in skiing, but returned to compete for Brazil, embracing his heritage.
- Braten defeated Swiss favorite Marco Odermatt in the giant slalom event at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
- He described his win as following his intuition and heart, aiming to be his authentic self on the slopes.
- Braten has a multicultural background and enjoys fashion, samba dancing, and painting his nails, aiming to bring more diversity and color to alpine skiing.
- He hopes his success will inspire children from all backgrounds to follow their dreams and be true to themselves.
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