Lucas Pinheiro Braathen etched his name into the history books on Sunday, capturing a stunning victory in the season-opening slalom in Levi, Finland. The win marks the first-ever Alpine Ski World Cup victory for Brazil.
Braathen, who famously switched from the Norwegian team to represent his mother’s home country this season, delivered a masterful performance. He held the lead after the first run and successfully defended it on the second course, finishing with a combined time of 1:50.72. It was an emotional moment for the skier, who had already won the slalom discipline globe in 2023 while skiing for Norway.
“This victory represents who I am… I skied with my heart,” an emotional Braathen said after the race. “There were many sacrifices. It was a challenge, such a difficult road to get to this result. It’s a victory for me, my family, my friends, and for Brazil.”
Noël and Hallberg Round Out Historic Podium
Finishing just behind Braathen was the reigning Olympic champion, Clément Noël of France. Noël, who sat in second after the first run despite several mistakes, laid down a solid second attempt but couldn’t close the gap, ending the day 0.31 seconds back. It was a strong season-opener for the French star and his 31st career World Cup podium, all in slalom.
The podium also featured another history-making performance. Finland’s own Eduard Hallberg, 22, thrilled the home crowd by snagging third place, 0.57 seconds behind Braathen. It was a monumental day for the host nation, marking the first Finnish men’s podium since Kalle Palander’s 2007 victory and the nation’s first podium of any kind since 2013.
Swiss Team Suffers Collective Collapse
In stark contrast to the celebrations, the day proved to be a collective disaster for the ambitious Swiss national team. For the first time in 33 consecutive World Cup slaloms, the Swiss failed to place a single athlete in the top 10.
The team’s best result came from reigning world champion Loïc Meillard, who finished a disappointing 14th, 1.48 seconds off the winning pace. Meillard, who was tenth after a “too prudent” first run, couldn’t find the necessary speed on the second course.
His teammates struggled even more. Tanguy Nef, 14th after the first run, went into attack mode on the second course, but a major mistake on the steep section cost him dearly, dropping him to 21st place. Daniel Yule, in his first race with new Atomic skis, started first on the second run but couldn’t fully capitalize on the clean piste, finishing 22nd. The last time the Swiss team missed the top 10 in a slalom was in March 2022.
Early Season Standings
With the 100 points from the victory, Braathen moves into a tie for the lead in the overall World Cup standings with Marco Odermatt. Noël sits fourth with 80 points, while Meillard is the top-ranked Swiss in 14th position.