Lucas Pinheiro Braathen becomes the pioneer in Alpine Ski World Cup after his victory in Levi.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen delivered a historic performance this Sunday, winning the men's slalom at the inaugural World Cup in Levi, becoming the first skier competing under the Brazilian flag to achieve a victory in elite alpine skiing. The Brazilian dominated from the first run and consolidated his lead in the second, completing a brilliant comeback that positions him as a prominent contender for the Milan-Cortina Games.
The competition, held on the challenging Levi Black, saw Braathen as an absolute leader from the start, especially thanks to a second run where he maintained precision and stability against top-level adversaries.
The skier, born in Oslo, had previously won five World Cup events, in addition to the overall slalom title in 2023, though all those successes were achieved representing his native country, Norway.
Therefore, this victory holds significant symbolic value: Braathen decided to compete for Brazil — his mother's country of origin — after a period of tensions with the Norwegian federation and a brief temporary retirement. This process makes his success in Levi an especially meaningful return, both for his personal career and for the international projection of Brazilian skiing.
Braathen managed to maintain the best time from the first run and ratified his victory in the second, stopping the clock at 1:50.72. With this result, he beat Frenchman Clément Noël, Olympic slalom champion, who finished 0.31 seconds behind the Brazilian.
The triumph was not subject to major uncertainties: Braathen reached the finish line with a wide margin both over Noël and against Finnish Eduard Hallberg (+0.57), who completed the podium before the home crowd.
For Finland, the third place achieved by Hallberg constitutes a remarkable milestone. The 22-year-old athlete executed a solid second run and concluded his participation just +0.57 seconds behind the winner. This result represents the first podium of his sporting career and provides a significant boost for the Finnish slalom team.







