Lucas Braathen, 23, the young Norwegian ski racing superstar who dramatically retired from competition at the start of the season last autumn, has announced he will restart his career for the 2024/25 season.
Speaking at a press conference at the Hangar-7 in Salzburg, Braathen announced that as well as resuming his career, he’ll be racing for Brazil, his mother’s home country, in a switch from the Norwegian Ski Federation.
“Coming back to the sport of Alpine Skiing, representing Brazil, makes me beyond proud. My love for sports was found in the streets of São Paulo, playing football with my friends and cousins. It feels meant to be,” said Lucas.
The son of a Brazilian mother and Norwegian father, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen says that he has always felt deeply connected to his Brazilian heritage and the spirited nature of the Brazilian people.
“Brazil has always had a major influence in shaping me to become the person, and athlete that I am,” he said. “Having the opportunity to represent 200 million Brazilians in World Cups, World Championships and the Olympic Games, is a dream come true.”
When he takes the start gate in October 2024 for his first race back in Sölden, Austria, he’ll be aiming to become the first skier from Brazil to ever win an FIS World Cup race.
Braathen previously represented the Norwegian Ski Federation for four seasons in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup before his retirement in October 2023. During that successful four-year period, he achieved five World Cup wins, eleven podiums, and became the world’s best Slalom skier in the 22/23 season, earning him the FIS World Cup Crystal Globe.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen actively promotes diversity and inclusion in skiing, striving to make the sport more accessible and welcoming to all.
“Being born and raised within a multicultural and uncommon background in winter sports, I made it my biggest goal to transcend sports by expressing myself. I want to create more width and acceptance for diversity in the community of sports, by showing that you can accomplish anything you want, no matter who you are or where you come from,” Lucas added.
