Pinheiro Braathen puts pressure on Odermatt with crucial GS win

Three weeks after becoming Brazil’s first ever Olympic Winter Games gold medallist, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA/Atomic) has given himself a real chance of becoming his nation’s maiden World Cup champion, after a superb Giant Slalom performance in Kranjska Gora on Saturday.

Pinheiro Braathen arrived in a sun-splashed Slovenia knowing he needed his very best to challenge Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli) in the battle for the GS Crystal Globe. And the 25-year-old found it. Two stunning runs delivering a first ever Audi FIS World Cup GS win in Brazilian colours, and more importantly a hugely valuable 100 points.

Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) took second, in his first race since collecting Slalom gold, Team Combined silver and GS bronze at the Olympic Games, while Stefan Brennsteiner (AUT/Fischer) continued his best ever World Cup season with third.

Crucially in the context of the Globe races, Atle Lie McGrath (NOR/Head) took fourth, pushing Odermatt down into fifth.

Results that mean Odermatt’s lead in the GS season standings is now just 48 points over Pinheiro Braathen with one race – and a maximum of 100 points available to the winner – remaining.

‘What a fun day’

There is no doubt that Pinheiro Braathen is in red-hot form right now. Since the middle of December the Brazilian has claimed two wins, four podium places and five other top-five finishes in his 12 World Cup and Olympic races.

Numbers that must be worrying even the great Odermatt, especially now that his rival has finally turned multiple GS podium places into a longed-for win.

Smooth and light on his skis in run one, not even a challenging, direct course set under the sun in run two could stop a skier who is clearly in the zone.

“It was really as different as it gets, it was borderline Downhill the second run course,” said Pinheiro Braathen who had a 0.14 second lead over the field at the half-way stage.

“On the flat it didn’t even turn for four or five consecutive gates. But this is what skiing is all about. Skiing is about showing you’re fast on the straights and fast on the curvy and offset types of course and at the end of the day the guy that runs off with the Globe, he’s the best overall.

“I train every single day to be ready for whatever unfolds. I am very proud of today’s performance, I really am.”

So proud that, by popular demand, the Brazilian brought back his finish area samba moves.

“The sun was out, spring is springing, the fans gave me amazing energy as per usual and I just felt like it today, my skiing felt like dancing so I thought I would pay a little tribute to it,” Braathen said laughing. “What a fun day it has been.”

Two years to the day after announcing his return to skiing following a year-long break, Pinheiro Braathen will go in Sunday’s Slalom chasing more points, as he eyes up a possible tilt at the Overall Globe. Although with Odermatt still boasting a sizeable 632-point advantage, that might be too much even for the smiling Brazilian.

Meillard stays in hunt for Globe glory

Pinheiro Braathen is not the only man in the hunt for the GS Globe, with Meillard’s third podium in his past five races – a streak that includes two wins – putting him right in the mix.

Eighty-nine points behind Odermatt and 41 back from Pinheiro Braathen, Meillard will need a lot to go his way when the GS skiers reconvene for the final time in Lillehammer on 24 March.

But the Swiss man has certainly seen a lot go his way in the past few weeks.

“It’s a good feeling,” said the three-time Olympic medallist. “It was two weeks since the Olympics so we had a good time off. Good rest and training but you never really know if your level is still good enough to fight for the front. To be able to do it is great.”

Meillard also has a chance to move up from third in the Overall standings. The plan on that front when looking ahead to Sunday’s Slalom?

“Try to ski as fast as today,” the Rossignol man said simply.

‘Brazilian weather’

Brennsteiner might not quite be in the Globe running this season but the 34-year-old is not complaining too much, after finding his best form 14 years after making his World Cup debut.

“I am not that happy with the second run but I am happy with the position. I had a really good first run so it wasn’t that necessary that the second run is so quick,” Brennsteiner said.

The Austrian, blinking in the sunshine, then took a moment to look around.  

When pushed, Brennsteiner had to admit that it is “Brazilian weather”. Tune in on Sunday at 08:30 CET for the first run of the men’s Slalom in Kranjska Gora to see if the sun is still shining on Pinheiro Braathen.

Check out the full results from the men’s Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora here, with the latest season standings in the race for the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe here.

Also, do please head to Reuters Connect and Actionpress.de to view and purchase a wide selection of photographs from this race and from all FIS events.