Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins World Cup giant slalom to take season title for Brazil

By Canadian Press on March 24, 2026.

HAFJELL, Norway (AP) — Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen added the World Cup giant slalom season title on Tuesday in a stunning 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 the season-long slalom title in 2023 when skiing for Norway, before his split months later with the national ski federation in a dispute over sponsorship. That pushed him toward competing for his mother’s home nation.

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

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

The Associated Press