Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva congratulated skier Lucas Pinheiro Broten on his historic triumph - the country's first gold medal at the Winter Olympics. The head of state wrote on the X platform that Broten's victory in the giant slalom in Bormio is the first distinction not only for Brazil, but also for all of South America in the history of the Winter Games, BTA reports.
“This unprecedented success proves that Brazilian sport has no borders. It is the result of talent, dedication and constant efforts to develop sport in all its dimensions“, said Lula.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad also welcomed the achievement with the message “Forward, Brazil“. Among the congratulators was surfer Gabriel Medina, who became world famous for his participation in the 2024 Summer Olympics, who wrote: “Congratulations, Lucas! I'm proud of Brazil.“
The Sao Paulo football club described the medal as “historic“, the sports portal Ge Globo called it “an incredible emotion“, and the newspaper Meia Hora emphasized that Broten had “broken a paradigm and inspired hope for the development of winter sports in Brazil“.
The 25-year-old Broten has a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother. He originally competed for Norway, but in 2023 he ended his career due to a dispute over marketing rights with the federation. A year later he returned to the track, now under the Brazilian flag, to achieve historic Olympic success.