2026 Alpine Skiing World Cup: Olympic Champion Pinheiro Braathen Leads Giant Slalom

Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen was fastest in the first run of a World Cup giant slalom on Saturday with Marco Odermatt almost one second back in fifth. Pinheiro Braathen’s historic gold-medal win for Brazil last month pushed Odermatt down to silver, and he is the Swiss star’s closest challenger in the season-long giant slalom standings. On a sunny 4 Celsius (39 Fahrenheit) day in Slovenia, Pinheiro Braathen took a 0.14-second lead over Stefan Brennsteiner. Olympic bronze medalist Loïc Meillard was third with 0.35 to make up in the afternoon run.

Updated on: 7 March 2026 5:20 pm

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca

1/10

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Giovanni Auletta

2/10

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Giovanni Auletta

3/10

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca

4/10

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Giovanni Auletta

5/10

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca

6/10

Switzerland's Loic Meillard competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Giovanni Auletta

7/10

Switzerland's Loic Meillard competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca

8/10

Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Giovanni Auletta

9/10

Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca

10/10

Switzerland's Loic Meillard competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup giant slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Photo: AP/Pier Marco Tacca