Olympic Champion Braathen Shines in Slovenia

Braathen beats Meillard in Kranjska Gora GS

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen wins men's Alpine skiing giant slalom, putting pressure on Marco Odermatt in World Cup crystal globe battle.

Braathen takes GS win in Kranjska Gora, narrowing Odermatt's lead in discipline standings with one race left...

Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen took the top spot in the men's Alpine skiing giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, putting pressure on Marco Odermatt in the battle for the World Cup crystal globe. Braathen, who's Norwegian-born but competes for Brazil, beat Switzerland's Loic Meillard by 0.54 seconds, with Austrian Stefan Brennsteiner taking third place.

This win is Braathen's second of the season and his first in giant slalom, aside from the Milano Cortina Olympics. Odermatt, the World Cup overall leader, finished fifth, leaving him 48 points clear in the GS standings with one race left.

Marco Odermatt, the World Cup overall leader, finished fifth in the giant slalom, but still holds a 48-point lead in the GS standings with one race left at the World Cup finals in Norway on March 24. This means he'll need just a decent finish to secure the crystal globe in the discipline.

Odermatt dominates the World Cup standings, leading in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom, making him a strong contender for multiple golds at the Olympics. 

“I'm just skiing with a lot of happiness, a lot of joy,” he said of a win that came two years to the day since he announced his comeback under the Brazilian flag after leaving the Norwegian team.

“The only thing I've been trying to do since the Olympics is enjoy it, whilst obviously trying to combine that ‌with getting ready for some difficult last races and a lot on the line, fighting for various ‌titles.

“Just not trying to make too big a deal out of it: ski with the flow, ski with my heart.”

Marco Odermatt leads Lucas Pinheiro Braathen by a massive 632 points in the overall World Cup, with eight races left across all disciplines. Braathen's recent win in Kranjska Gora's giant slalom puts pressure on Odermatt's lead in the discipline.

DOMINANTE LUCAS PINHEIRO BRAATHEN 🇧🇷⛷️

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen si conferma dopo l'oro olimpico e vince il gigante, davanti a Loic Meillard e Stefan Brennsteiner. Marco Odermatt chiude quinto alle spalle di McGrath e quindi per la coppa di specialità resta tutto aperto e saranno… pic.twitter.com/0F8Iql31pZ

— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) March 7, 2026

Braathen dominated the first run, beating Stefan Brennsteiner by 0.14 seconds, and finished fourth equal in the second run, which was paced by Norway's Atle Lie McGrath. This win marks Braathen's second victory of the season and first in a giant slalom, aside from his Olympic win at Milano Cortina.