Brazilians celebrate 'Carnival in the Italian snow' as Alpine skier wins Olympic gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — With Brazil entering the joyous throes of Carnival, Alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen on Saturday gave it another reason to celebrate — an Olympic medal.

It was the first-ever medal at the Winter Games for any country in South America. And not just any medal: Gold.

The win for the 25-year-old known in Brazil as “O cara do ski” — the skiing dude — happened on the first full day of Carnival, the pre-Lenten party that fills city streets with revelers drinking and dancing to their hearts' content. Even if lots of ordinary Brazilians were more preoccupied with that bacchanal, Pinheiro Braathen's gold-medal glory bumped Carnival news from top spots on major news websites and many commemorated. It was another in a series of recent scores for Brazil on top global stages that have provided what some view as long-overdue acclaim.

“This has become one of my top five Brazil gold medals in Olympic history, no doubt,” radio host and sports fanatic Thiago Varella, 41, told The Associated Press from Campinas, a city where Pinheiro Braathen has relatives and took several childhood vacations. “He will be our skiing dude forever. Even people who don’t understand the sport now will come to admire his story and his Brazilian-ness.”

In Milan, several hundred fans packed into Brazil House, a gathering spot organized by its Olympic committee. They erupted, toasting their beer bottles and singing soccer-style chants with Lucas' name. Michelin-starred Brazilian chef Raphael Rego distributed warm cheese bread, traditional breakfast fare back home, before dancing to samba alongside Bruno Fratus, a bronze-winning swimmer in Tokyo’s Summer Games. Wearing green-and-gold, many joined a conga line led by Ginga, the Brazilian Olympic team’s mascot.

“We’re used to this feeling a lot in (soccer), sometimes in volleyball, but, you know, it’s a winter sport, it’s a snow sport,” said Aline Fialho of Recife, in Brazil's northeast. “We don’t have snow in Brazil, so it’s a little bit surreal, but I feel very proud.”

Waking up to a win

The soccer-mad nation of 213 million excels at sports in the Summer Olympics, but not so for those on ice and snow. So Pinheiro Braathen and skiing were unlikely to have been at the top of most Brazilians' minds even in a non-Carnival weekend.

Still, the nation started getting excited as it woke up to the possibility of his achievement. At 6 a.m. local time Saturday, the country’s dominant TV network, Globo, was showing alpine skiing alongside Carnival coverage.

After his second and final run, Globo played a song that many Brazilian men, women and children know, bringing home his victory's importance. “Tema da Victoria” ("Victory Theme," in Portuguese) was the soundtrack after every win by Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, a national hero and three-time champion who often challenged and defeated European rivals.

“It is a Brazilian Carnival in the Italian snow!” said TV Globo commentator Paulo Andrade.

In Rio de Janeiro, people were split between curious and celebratory.

Driver Alexandre Novais heard about the skier competing in Italy, but didn't know his name. Stopping at a gas station in Rio’s up-market Ipanema neighborhood, he was impressed that anyone from Brazil could compete in the snow — a far cry from the 30 Celsius degrees (86 Fahrenheit) in Rio. Pinheiro Braathen until 2023 competed for Norway, switching to Brazil last season and adding his mother’s surname.

“I heard of him, I am glad he won," said Novais, 35. "I'm more of a soccer fan, but anyone who chooses to be Brazilian deserves our support.”

Nathalia Martínez, a 25-year-old Colombian in Rio for Carnival, was in her hotel’s lobby when people started screaming with joy. She said she felt proud to see the Brazilian cry as he tried to sing the national anthem.

“That’s 100% Latin America. No Norwegian athlete would be so emotional on the podium. I can say I felt a little represented by him, too,” Martinez said. “I'm really curious to see whether Brazilians will start wearing skiing gear as Carnival costumes.”

Another big win for Brazil on a global stage

Pinheiro Braathen, 25, has embraced his Brazilian heritage, giving interviews in Portuguese and decorating his helmet with “Vamos Dançar” — “Let’s Dance”. He has said his start in sports came from soccer, not skiing, and that his first hero was the World Cup-winning Ronaldinho.

Pinheiro Braathen’s quest for Olympic glory forms part of the nation’s recent achievements on the world’s biggest stages. Many Brazilians have lamented that the country and its cultural makeup and output have long gone underappreciated. There's even an infamous term that for decades encapsulated what writer Nelson Rodrigues perceived as Brazil’s sense of inferiority compared to other nations: “mongrel complex." He coined it in 1950, following the national soccer team’s humiliating World Cup loss at home.

That has been changing. The feature film “I’m Still Here” had box office success at home and abroad, and its nomination for three Academy Awards created something of a frenzy ahead of the awards ceremony last March. It won best international feature, giving Brazil its first Oscar. This year, the film “The Secret Agent” has been nominated for four more, including best picture and best actor.

Pinheiro Braathen’s supporters in Milan said he has helped Brazil gain recognition beyond its usual claims to fame.

“We are showing that we are more than samba and football,” said Giovana Biondo, who is from Sao Paulo and volunteering at the Games. “We love both and we are still very good at both. But I think it’s really sending a message to the whole planet that we are more than the Carnival.”

After his win, Pinheiro Braathen told Globo that he wanted to share his victory with everyone cheering for him in Brazil.

“This can be a point of inspiration for the next generation of children, showing them that nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. What matters is what’s inside. What the heart does," he said. "I bring Brazilian strength today to bring this flag to the podium. This is Brazil’s.”

Dazio reported from Milan. Associated Press writer David Biller contributed.

AP Winter Olympics coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics