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Olympic champion Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the first World Cup giant slalom since the Winter Games on Saturday in Slovenia to put pressure on Marco Odermatt for the season-long title.
Pinheiro Braathen protected his first-run lead to finish 0.54 seconds ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Loic Meillard. Stefan Brennsteiner was third, 0.80 back.
Pinheiro Braathen’s historic gold-medal win for Brazil last month pushed Odermatt down to silver, and he is the Swiss star’s closest challenger in the season-long giant slalom standings.
“I’m just skiing with a lot of happiness, a lot of joy,” said Pinheiro Braathen, who was runner-up in the three World Cup giant slaloms before the Olympics.
Odermatt placed fifth Saturday, 1.33 back, and Pinheiro Braathen’s 100 points for the win cut the Swiss star’s lead in the World Cup giant slalom standings to 48 with one race left.
The discipline title will be decided March 25 at the season-ending race at Hafjell, Norway. Odermatt is the four-time defending champion.
Odermatt also is chasing a fifth straight overall World Cup title which he already effectively won.
He is 632 points ahead of Pinheiro Braathen with eight scheduled races left, though no rival who can theoretically catch him competes in all disciplines.
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