The young Norwegian’s resignation caused a lot of excitement in the fall. Now Braathen has announced that he will drive for his mother’s home country in the future.
Will drive for Brazil in the future: Lucas Braathen.
Jari Pestelacci / Imago
(sda) Lucas Braathen returns to the Ski World Cup. The 23-year-old confirmed what had already leaked in the last few days at a press conference in Salzburg.
Braathen said in his introduction in Portuguese that he wanted to race again. It was also clear that the slalom specialist would compete for another country in the future after the dispute with the Norwegian association: Brazil. The change of nation is possible because his mother is Brazilian. “It makes me proud to represent my mother’s country,” said Braathen, whose middle name is Pinheiro.
In October, immediately before the start of the season, Braathen surprisingly announced his retirement from skiing. He justified his decision with the lack of freedom in top-class sport. The farewell to the Norwegian association took place amidst a dispute. Braathen had advertised for a Swedish clothing brand that is not one of the Norwegian suppliers.
The previous season, Braathen had won the small crystal ball in the slalom. In total, he has been on the World Cup podium twelve times since 2021 and celebrated five victories – three in the slalom (2022 in Wengen, 2023 in Adelboden) and two in the giant slalom.
With his long hair and colorful fingernails, Braathen is considered a bird of paradise who enjoys a lot of sympathy. Two days ago, his now former teammate Aleksander Kilde said: “It’s good for the sport that he’s back. He is a colorful personality and many people have been waiting for his return.”