Brazilian skier Pinheiro Braathen wins World Cup giant slalom to take season title

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Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen kisses the globe trophy for the alpine ski, men's giant slalom discipline title, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) — Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's giant slalom race, at the Lillehammer World Cup Finals, in Hafjell, Norway, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

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5:27 AM on Tuesday, March 24

The Associated Press

HAFJELL, Norway (AP) — Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen added the World Cup giant slalom season title on Tuesday in a stunning and historic campaign for the Brazilian skier.

Racing on the slope where he grew up, the Norway-born star protected his first-run lead to finish 0.58 seconds ahead of Loïc Meillard, who would have taken the season-long title had Pinheiro Braathen failed to finish.

Pinheiro Braathen won a crystal trophy for the season-long slalom title in 2023 when skiing for Norway, then split months later with the national ski federation in a dispute over sponsorship.

That pushed him toward competing for his mother’s home nation after sitting out an entire season, and to win the first championship medal and World Cup trophy for Brazil.

“To be able to look at this crystal globe with the Brazilian flag on my chest is something I am immensely proud of," he said.

At the start of racing on Tuesday, Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt led the giant slalom standings but he failed to complete his first run.

The 25-year-old Pinheiro Braathen skied with calm assurance to claim the title that never looked at risk.

On seeing his winning time, he saluted fans by raising his right index finger and slowly skied toward a bank of photographers and screamed with joy. He turned to look into the finish-area television camera and yelled “Vamos!”

"I just hope it can inspire some kids out there to really believe in who they are no matter if they feel a bit different at times,” Pinheiro Braathen said in his first post-race interview.

In third place was Pinheiro Braathen's childhood friend Atle Lie McGrath, trailing by 0.87.

Slalom showdown next

The men’s World Cup season ends on Wednesday with the slalom title at stake. The Vermont-born McGrath leads the standings with Pinheiro Braathen his closest challenger.

Odermatt already secured the World Cup season titles in downhill, super-G and overall but could not retain his giant slalom title.

The Swiss star has seemed fatigued in recent weeks and does not relish the softer spring-like snow typical of World Cup courses in March. The temperature was 7 degrees (44 F) when the second run started at 12:30 p.m. local time.

World Cup champion's farewell

It was the final World Cup race in the career of Alexis Pinturault, the 2021 overall champion.

The 35-year-old France star, racing in his mother's home country Norway, placed 11th on Tuesday, trailing by 2.46. His teammates sprayed him with Champagne in the finish area.

A storied career saw Pinturault win the season-long grand slalom title in his championship year, and got 18 of his 34 career World Cup wins in the discipline.

He also won two career bronze medals at each of the Olympics and world championships in giant slalom where he often went head-to-head with ski greats Marcel Hirscher and Ted Ligety.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing