Olympics-Alpine skiing-Brazil's Pinheiro Braathen makes history with giant slalom gold

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Men's Giant Slalom Run 2 - Stelvio Ski Centre, Bormio, Italy - February 14, 2026. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil in action during his second run of the Men's Giant Slalom REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

BORMIO, Italy, ⁠Feb 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's ‌Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became the first South ​American to win ⁠a Winter ⁠Olympics medal as he ⁠stormed ‌to gold in ⁠the men's giant slalom ​on ‌Saturday.

Pinheiro Braathen led ⁠by ​a distance after the first ⁠leg on the ​Stelvio course and held on under enormous ⁠pressure in the second run to beat Switzerland's ​Marco Odermatt ⁠by 0.58 seconds.

Swiss ​Loic ‌Meillard took the ​bronze medal.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman)