On February 14, 2026, intense competition took place in the men’s giant slalom event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, held at the Tofana Alpine Ski Center.
The men’s giant slalom consists of two runs, with the final results determined by the combined times of both runs. The competitor with the shortest overall time emerges as the winner.
After the first run, Brazilian skier Lucas Braten held a narrow lead over Swiss star Marco Odermatt, who was followed closely by two other Swiss competitors.
During the second run, all three leading Swiss skiers improved their times one after another, mounting pressure on Braten. Despite a slight mistake, he delivered a remarkable performance, leveraging his superior physicality and technical skills to break through the competition and secure a stunning gold medal. This victory marked not only Brazil’s first gold medal in Winter Olympic history but also the first gold for South America as a whole.
Odermatt, the reigning champion from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was aiming for the gold medal, particularly after capturing a bronze in the super giant slalom event earlier in the games. Unfortunately for him, he finished with a silver medal, clocking in at 2 minutes and 25.58 seconds. Swiss skier Loick Meillard claimed the bronze medal with a time of 2 minutes and 26.17 seconds.
This historic win highlights the growing competitiveness of winter sports in countries traditionally not known for winter athletics, providing inspiring examples for aspiring athletes across the globe.