A Brazilian lead on the Rettenbach glacier
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen posted the quickest opening run at the World Cup giant slalom season opener in Sölden on Sunday, putting himself in position to make it four straight victories in the discipline. The Brazilian Olympic champion, born in Norway, finished the first run 0.24 seconds clear of Olympic slalom champion Loic Meillard, with Stefan Brennsteiner a further 0.49 seconds back.[S1][S2][S3]
Once he crossed the line, Pinheiro Braathen blew a kiss toward the crowd, where a handful of onlookers were waving Brazilian flags. Five-time overall World Cup champion Marco Odermatt sat fourth, 0.55 seconds off the pace, and Atle Lie McGrath was fifth at 0.64.[S1]
Strong winds over the upper section of the Rettenbach glacier forced organizers to shorten the course, and the athletes raced in difficult conditions. Marco Schwarz lost control early in his run and passed through a gate, while skiers from lower start positions were still descending when the leaders had finished.[S1]
An unbeaten run in giant slalom
Pinheiro Braathen has not lost a giant slalom since his Olympic breakthrough, a stretch that includes victories in the last two World Cup GS races of last season, which secured him the season-long discipline title. Two years ago he changed national federations to compete for Brazil, the country of his mother.[S1]
His slalom win in Levi, Finland, almost a year ago gave Brazil its first Alpine skiing World Cup victory. At last season's Milan Cortina Games he became the first athlete to win a Winter Olympic medal for a South American nation.[S1]
The women's opener on Saturday went to Paula Moltzan, who took the first World Cup win of her career, while Mikaela Shiffrin placed seventh.[S1]
