Lucas Braathen: "A podium in Beijing would be a Norwegian and a Brazilian result"

One of the recent revelatory athletes in the world of winter sports makes a point of remembering his more tropical roots. He is proud of them. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, 21, is Norwegian like his father, Bjorn, his mother, Alessandra, is Brazilian.

His parents are great examples to him. Bjorn taught him to go further, to innovate, to think and do things differently while Alessandra added the affection and love. The basis for everything Lucas does, he says, comes from his Brazilian "half". "It's my favorite word in Portuguese: love (amor). With love, you're happy, and being happy is all I want. It's a beautiful word that attracts good things," he reflects.

A little in English and a little in impeccable Portuguese, he spoke to Olympics.com about this great period of his career, what inspires him and his connection to Brazil, days before the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, which start 4 February.

Braathen is in a good place in Alpine skiing right now, a sport he has been practising since he was nine years old. He won his first ever World Cup race, in giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, in the 2020/2021 FIS World Cup season.

This current 2021/22 season, he won his second, a famous, thrilling, history-making win in slalom in Wengen, Switzerland, engraving the date of 16 January 2022 on the minds of Alpine ski fans everywhere.

Having made a big error on the first of two runs in Wengen, Braathen did not even imagine he would qualify for the second run as only the top 30 qualify. "I was returning to the hotel after the first run because of a serious mistake. I was packing my things when the coach said, 'Wait, you're going to have the second'."

Having finished 29th, he was the second to compete on the final run, as skiers descend in reverse order from their finishing positions after the first run. Braathen saw this as a bonus as the track would be relatively 'clean' having had only one skier go down before him. After completing his super-quick run, he sat and watched his opponents come down one after another, all failing to beat his time.

Braathen had just wanted to go for broke on his second run and enjoy his skiing but as the podium loomed he started to get apprehensive but when teammate and poll sitter Henrik Kristoffersen made a mistake on his run, bedlam ensued. An explosion of joy greeted Braathen's record-breaking 29th to 1st position achievement.

The following week, in the last event before the Beijing 2022, he placed second, again in slalom, this time in Kitzbühel, Austria.

One of the names vying for the podium at Beijing 2022, Braathen says: "You don't ski in the Games to be top 15 or top 10... it's to be in the top three, or nothing. That's what I work for."

It's not about titles

Braathen has had a good streak but he hasn't had a chance to take in his Wengen achievement. "I didn't have time to enjoy the victory... as soon as the stage was over, we had already driven seven hours to Kitzbühel for me to prepare for the next one," he commented. For him, in terms of gaining confidence, getting a win is excellent. Ahead of what will be his first Olympic Winter Games, even better.

"You have to think that it's just a sport and that, at the end of the day, life is so much more. I'm just a skier trying to be the fastest. Of course, I'm privileged to do that. What I think really makes the difference is that with the sport I end up having a voice. I end up having an opportunity to impact and change the community. I think this is the most valuable thing I can do, to give back and change what is around me. This makes the difference," says Braathen.

Inspirations

Braathen, who is about to turn 22, started skiing at a relatively late age for someone born in Norway. Generally, those who start in the sport do so at the age of five or six. Before this, Lucas' business was football: "Ronaldinho (Gaúcho) was awesome. Authentic, original, just himself," he says about the Brazilian idol.

Bjorn had been an amateur alpine skier so took his son skiing so he wasn't idle during the winter. Lucas reluctantly accepted but soon fell in love with the sport and it didn't take him long to realise what he wanted out of life.

Skiing has given him friends, opportunities to get to know places, express himself and manifest his authenticity. In fact, authenticity is something remarkable in Lucas' personality, a characteristic that he had observed not only in his football idol but also at home with his dad Bjorn: "My father always had this mentality: an outstanding person, a maverick, pathfinder, he didn't care about the opinions of others, and as an amateur skier, he passed on that passion to me," recalls Braathen junior.

Owner of a "great energy", according to Lucas, Bjorn guides him to follow his own path, without listening to others about what to do or not to do. Listen to the coaches, it's true, but in the end it's father and son who will decide what should or should not be done: "No one knows myself better than my father and I. We have to believe in our path," says Lucas, who says this is the reason he has improved so much in Alpine skiing in such a short time.

Think different

Being authentic suggests originality. To be original you have to think different. In other words, innovate. To innovate, you have to take risks and, for that, you have to dare.

That's why Braathen's other inspiration is the Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, admiring how the American entrepreneur had to be different to create revolutionary devices: "If he followed everyone else he wouldn't have done what he did, he thought differently," said Lucas, adding: "'Think differently' is the basis for how I can become a better skier, to dare to try new equipment, new techniques, manoeuvres, without listening to others about what they've done. Formulas and models won't help; if you want something to work you have to do something different."

Maverick, not afraid of taking risks and going with his heart. It is with this strong personality that Braathen goes to his first Olympic Winter Games: "I'm going to the Games to win medals, it's my goal and I have enough skill to win them. There are many factors that influence but I feel totally capable," he commented.

"I always try to try something new and this I have on my Brazilian side. Brazilians take more risks, try to innovate, they try, improvise. There is no fear," says Lucas when referring to Brazil in the interview.

The training and competition schedule prevents him from being in Brazil more often – between São Paulo and Campinas, close to his grandparents, Márcia and Alberto, and uncles – and from following Palmeiras, the São Paulo-based football team at the heart of his Brazilian family. He is a fan of a good barbecue and recalls what his mother Alessandra used to buy as soon as arriving at the airport in São Paulo: "Guaraná (kind of Brazilian soft drink) and cheese bread even inside the taxi," says Braathen with a laugh.

Even distant, he feels that he represents Brazil, always keeping in touch with his Brazilian family and with the country: "My Brazilian side defines who I am, it's a big part of me," he adds.

It's something very different from the life he has in Norway with his friends: "They react well to my way but they don't even have experience with more people like that than myself. Sometimes it seems challenging for them to deal with my way. They don't always like it but they understand me," says Braathen, laughing again.

Now, when asked to define what the 'Brazilian side' is, Braathen points out several things that make all the difference to him and the authenticity and originality he admires: "It's human warmth. Everyone has love, they want to meet you, to talk to you...it's a close love, without judgment."

He says he likes samba and bossa nova, a rhythm that makes him upbeat and, at the same time, relaxed. He is so Brazilian that he wants to show the world his roots, so he wears stripes with the colors of the Brazilian flag on the collar of his uniform: "I am Norwegian and Brazilian. I love and feel Brazil, so follow me in Beijing."

Dreams

Like every skier, there's nothing like a big crystal globe that defines a great season. Winning the trophy for the best season-long skier in each discipline is one of his dreams.

Another is to impact and help others through sport: "I want to leave a mark on sport. An impact. I don't want to be just another athlete who competed in competitions, won titles," he says.

A third dream is the Olympic medal, which could be about to happen, at Beijing 2022, surely something that would make him very happy indeed.