Beaver, Tumler wins the giant. Braathen is 2nd: first podium for Brazil

Thomas Tumler, at 35 years old, wins his first Alpine skiing World Cup race by triumphing in the Beaver Creek giant slalom. The Swiss, author of a great first heat, defended himself from the assault of Lucas Braathen, who starting from the fourth time came close to winning: second at just 12/100, ahead of the Slovenian Kranjec (at 58/100).

braathen

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Braathen’s story is a special one. The Scandinavian talent retired a year ago, at just 23 years old, due to disagreements with the Norwegian federation. “In order to continue skiing within this system, I had to not only put aside my dreams, but also my joy of life. I’m no longer willing to do it”, his words in that shock press conference a few hours before the start of the last World Cup. This year he decided to return to racing, with the flag of Brazil (his mother is Brazilian) and the name Lucas Pinheiro (Braathen). And here he is, now, on the first podium of the season, the thirteenth of a young career already embellished with five first places and victory in the special slalom cup in 2023. And it is also a gift for the nation that welcomed him: never Brazil he had reached the podium in the World Cup.

of aliprandini

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In Beaver there was a remarkable comeback in eighth place for the Italian Luca De Aliprandini who finished with the second time in the second heat (behind Braathen) after 19th in the first. The Swiss champion Overmatt did badly. The winner of the last three Cups also emerged in Beaver, at the beginning of the second heat (seventh time in the first): it is the third time in a row in the giant slalom, after the nine successes in a row last season and the disappointments of the Saalbach finals and Solden.