Berlin, Nov 16, (dpa/GNA) – Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the Levi men’s slalom on Sunday, Brazil’s first ever alpine skiing World Cup victory.
He triumphed five times previously for Norway, and even won the slalom crystal globe in 2023. However, the 25-year-old then fell out with the Norwegian ski federation and switched to Brazil, the land of his mother.
He took a strong lead from the first leg into the second run in Finland and held off 2022 Olympic champion Clement Noel of France by 0.31 seconds. Eduard Hallberg grabbed his first World Cup podium for hosts Finland.
“I had a plan and a strategy, and I followed that,” Pinheiro Braathen told reporters, adding that racing for Brazil was special. “There’s a lot of pride in that.”
Last season’s slalom World Cup champion Henrik Kristoffersen, of Norway, had a wobble in the second run under the Levi floodlights and placed 13th overall. Swiss world champion Loic Meillard was only 14th.
The Norwegians dominated last season’s World Cup slalom, claiming almost half of the podium spots. Pinheiro Braathen picked up three slalom podiums last season and two in giant slalom, but they did not count to Norway’s tally.
This was his first victory in Levi. American great Mikaela Shiffrin won her ninth Levi slalom in Saturday’s women’s race.
In October, reigning overall champion Marco Odermatt started the men’s alpine ski season with a giant slalom victory in Austria’s Sölden.
The next races are slaloms in Gurgl in Austria next weekend.
GNA