History was made on the slopes of the Stelvio on Saturday when Lucas Pinheiro Braathen from Brazil won the first Winter Olympics medal of any colour for South America, striking gold in a thrilling Giant Slalom showdown above Bormio.
Ireland’s Cormac Comerford was also back on the slopes, his third appearance at Milano Cortina, finishing 42nd among the 81 starters – moving up four places after his second run.
Comerford smashed a gate towards the end of his first run, losing an arm guard in the process, but recovered well to ensure he got a second run too.
Defending Olympic champion Marco Odermatt from Switzerland found himself .95 of a second behind Braathen after his electrifying first run, the top 30 then starting in reverse order for the second run. Despite Odermatt producing a faster time on the second attempt, the 25-year-old Braathen had enough of a cushion to win gold, his 2:25.00 overall time .58 ahead of Odermatt.
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Swiss skiers finished second, third and fourth – Loic Meillard winning bronze. 1.17 behind gold.
Comerford was sitting in 46th after his first run, despite the near mishap with the gate. In testing visibility and snowy conditions, he kept his nerve and improved with his second run to finish in a combined time of 2:41.75, just over 16 seconds behind Braathen.
“That’s a nice change from the first run,” said Comerford. “It was a little less scrappy and more put together, and more comfortable on the skis. I think there was more time to be gained, of course.
“As racers, we want to get every inch out of it, but I can be satisfied, I’ll take it.”
Once more a long way from the dry slopes of Kilternan, the 29-year-old Comerford had already finished 37th in the Supersuper-G 34th in his Winter Olympics debut in the downhill last Saturday, and was once again well pleased with his effort. Eight skiers failed to complete their first run, another four sliding out on the second run.
“Throughout each event, it changed a lot,” Comerford said of the conditions. “For the downhill, they had fresh snow and they watered it a bit so that it was compact, solid, not super ice, nice to ski on.
“For the Giant Slalom, they watered it again, so it was extra hard, really nice and compact.”
Born in Norway, his mother from Brazil and his father from Norway, Braathen grew up between both countries, representing Norway until 2023. He initially announced his retirement, after falling out with the Norwegian Ski Federation.
Braathen then returned to competition in 2024, coached in part by his father, his gold medal runs down the Stelvio ensuring his place in Winter Olympics history.
He was also the Brazilian flag bearer in the Opening Ceremony, Brazil’s best previous individual Winter Olympic result being Isabel Clark Ribeiro, who finished ninth in the snowboard cross in the 2006 Torino Games. The best Alpine skiing result to date was Chile’s Thomas Grob, who finished 11th in the combined at the 1998 Nagano Games.
Comerford still has Monday’s slalom to come: “At the start of the season, I set my goal, and the goal was to compete in all four disciplines,” said Comerford. “My points are much better in the slalom, so I should have a better starting bib.
“I’m gunning for it – and it’s the last event. I’ve been able to keep my focus. It’s been kind of a good thing to have that right at the end. I’ve been topped up, got the energy and the adrenalin and the focus up all day.”
Anabelle Zurbay is the next Irish athlete in action, going in the women’s Giant Slalom on Sunday morning, that event set for Cortina.
