The key facts

  • Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the giant slalom in Sölden — the first race of the men's World Cup season
  • It is the 26-year-old athlete's ninth World Cup victory
  • Loïc Meillard lost by 0.48 seconds, Marco Odermatt by 0.01 seconds

Victory at the season opener

Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the giant slalom in Sölden, the first race of the men's alpine skiing World Cup season. According to AFP, the Brazil athlete born in Norway posted a combined time of 1 minute 44.72 seconds — his ninth World Cup victory.

The battle for the podium

The 26-year-old Pinheiro Braathen finished 0.48 seconds ahead of Swiss skier Loïc Meillard, the Olympic slalom champion. Third place went to Meillard's teammate Marco Odermatt, a five-time overall World Cup winner — he trailed by just one hundredth of a second.

How the race unfolded

Pinheiro Braathen posted the fastest time in the first run on the shortened, wind-swept Rettenbach course, then held onto his lead in the second run, opening the season in spectacular fashion.

What's next

The next World Cup races will take place in Finland: on November 14–15, slalom events for men and women will be held in Levi.

What the result means

The victory at the season opener gives Pinheiro Braathen his first overall standings points and a psychological edge ahead of the start of the race series in Levi. For fans, the result sets the tone for the season's battle: behind the leader is already a tight group of Swiss skiers, where the gap between second and third place was mere hundredths of a second, promising fierce competition in the technical disciplines.