BRAZIL · SPORTS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the men’s World Cup season opener, a giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, on Sunday, 25 October 2026, finishing 0.48 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard.
- —Why it matters It is his fourth straight giant slalom win, counting the Olympic gold, and it opens his title defence. American River Radamus took fourth place, the best result of any US man.
- —The numbers Braathen’s two runs added up to 1:44.72 and he earned 100 World Cup points. Meillard was second at +0.48 seconds, Marco Odermatt third at +0.49 and Radamus fourth at +0.82.
- —Who is who Braathen, 26, was born in Oslo to a Brazilian mother and has raced for Brazil since returning to the tour two years ago. Switzerland’s Odermatt lost the 2026 giant slalom globe to him.
- —What to watch The tour moves to Levi, Finland, on 14 and 15 November, then to Copper Mountain, Colorado, on 28 and 29 November, where the calendar lists a Super-G and a giant slalom.
- —Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you The tour reaches Colorado in late November, and Radamus and Paula Moltzan, who won the women’s race a day earlier, give the American team a strong start to the winter.
Live tonight
Brazil’s runoff, live
The official TSE count for Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula, updated every minute (voting closed at 7 p.m. Brasília, 6 p.m. ET).
Brazil runoff polls · Polymarket and Kalshi odds · When results come · Brazil election poll data (CSV)
Prediction markets · who wins the runoff
Implied chance of winning Brazil’s presidency on 25 October, from traders’ prices.
Polymarket
Flávio Bolsonaro – · Lula – (US$249 million traded)
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC)
Flávio Bolsonaro 0.4% · Lula 99.6%
As of 25 October, 11:40 pm ET (03:40 Lisbon), updated every 20 minutes. Prices are bets, not polls, and can move fast.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the Sölden giant slalom by 0.48 seconds. It was the first race of the men’s World Cup season.
Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the men’s World Cup season opener in Sölden, Austria, on Sunday, 25 October 2026. He beat Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard by 0.48 seconds in the giant slalom, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) results show.
American River Radamus finished fourth, 0.82 seconds behind, the best result of any US man. It was Pinheiro Braathen’s fourth straight giant slalom win, counting his Olympic gold.
What Happened in Sölden
The race opened the 2026-27 season on the Rettenbach glacier in Sölden. A windy, bumpy course meant a start from a lower reserve gate, so each run lasted under a minute, FIS reports.
Pinheiro Braathen led after the first run and skied a second run of 52.32 seconds. His two runs added up to 1:44.72, the official results show.
Meillard finished in 1:45.20 and Marco Odermatt in 1:45.21, one hundredth of a second behind his Swiss teammate. Odermatt has won the overall World Cup title five years in a row, Swiss outlet blue News notes.
How Braathen Beat the Swiss Pair
Pinheiro Braathen led Meillard by 0.24 seconds after the first run, with 52.40 seconds against 52.64. Odermatt was further back at 52.95 seconds.
Odermatt’s second run of 52.26 seconds was faster than the winner’s 52.32. It was not enough to close the first run gap.
Odermatt said after the race that Pinheiro Braathen was too fast in the first run for him to win. FIS says his pre-season was affected by an injury.
Fabian Gratz of Germany was sixth and Alex Vinatzer of Italy seventh in the official results. Raphael Haaser of Austria took fifth, 0.86 seconds back.
Atle Lie McGrath of Norway was close to the lead after the first run but did not finish the second. Two of the six Norwegians in the final run did not finish, the FIS results show.
The Americans in the Results
Radamus, who races for Rossignol, posted 53.55 seconds in the first run and 51.99 in the second. That 1.56 second gain lifted him into fourth place with 50 World Cup points.
A day earlier, on Saturday, 24 October, American Paula Moltzan won the women’s giant slalom in 2:14.82. She finished 0.01 seconds ahead of Lara Colturi, who races for Albania.
Blue News says it was Moltzan’s first World Cup win in her 149th start. Mikaela Shiffrin finished seventh, 0.83 seconds back.
Why the Win Matters for Brazil
Pinheiro Braathen, 26, was born in Oslo to a Brazilian mother, Brazil’s O Povo reports. He returned to the tour two years ago to race for Brazil after a year of retirement, FIS says.
FIS lists his firsts for Brazil: a World Cup win, a Winter Olympic medal and a Crystal Globe. This report on his giant slalom Crystal Globe has the background.
The Sunday win was his second in Sölden. In 2020, racing for Norway at age 20, he became the youngest winner on the hill.
He said the new season opens with a different mindset. “I was just able to be me,” he said, according to FIS.
What It Means for US Readers
The result sets up a three way fight for the giant slalom globe between Pinheiro Braathen, Odermatt and Meillard, Blue News says. The Swiss outlet adds that he has announced he wants to dethrone Odermatt for the overall title.
The FIS calendar lists Copper Mountain, Colorado, on 28 and 29 November for a Super-G and a giant slalom. Blue News reports that Pinheiro Braathen plans to enter the Super-G there.
The calendar then moves to Beaver Creek, Colorado, from 1 to 6 December. The US team has home snow at both venues.
The Brazil guide explains the country behind the headlines. The Brazil news hub carries today’s coverage.
What Is Not Known
Whether Pinheiro Braathen can contend for the overall World Cup title is still open. Blue News says he has announced he wants to dethrone Odermatt.
His Super-G entry in Colorado is a plan reported by a Swiss outlet and is not confirmed by FIS. No protest or disqualification in the Sölden race has been reported.
What Comes Next
The men’s tour goes to Levi, Finland, on 14 and 15 November for slalom races. The next giant slalom on the calendar is at Copper Mountain on 28 and 29 November.
One race does not decide the season, and the globe is awarded only after the final events in the spring. Odermatt and Meillard finished within 0.01 seconds of each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Sölden men’s giant slalom?
Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won on Sunday, 25 October 2026, in 1:44.72. Loïc Meillard of Switzerland was second, 0.48 seconds back.
How did the Americans do?
River Radamus finished fourth, 0.82 seconds behind the winner. A day earlier Paula Moltzan won the women’s race and Mikaela Shiffrin was seventh.
Why is this win important for Brazil?
FIS lists his first World Cup win, first Winter Olympic medal and first Crystal Globe as firsts for Brazil. Sunday’s race was his fourth straight giant slalom victory.
Where can Americans see him race?
The FIS calendar lists Copper Mountain, Colorado, on 28 and 29 November and Beaver Creek, Colorado, from 1 to 6 December. His entries are not yet confirmed.
What is a Crystal Globe?
It is the trophy awarded to the winner of a World Cup discipline or the overall title. Pinheiro Braathen won the giant slalom globe in the 2025-26 season.
Sources: FIS official results, men’s giant slalom, Sölden, 25 October; FIS race report, 25 October; FIS official results, women’s giant slalom, 24 October; FIS World Cup calendar 2026-27; blue News (Switzerland), season opener review; NRK (Norway), race report; O Povo (Brazil), profile of Pinheiro Braathen (all accessed 26 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief