Lucas Pinheiro Braathen Wins Again in Levi, Opens Season Two for Two

Featured image: Lucas Pinheiro Braathen on his way to victory in Levi. Photo: GEPA pictures.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen has another reindeer to name and a perfect start to his World Cup season.

The Brazilian backed up his giant slalom victory in Sölden with a second consecutive Levi slalom win Sunday, finishing in a combined time of 1:48.04. France’s Clément Noël took second, 0.56 seconds behind, while Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard completed the podium, 0.73 off the winning pace.

Pinheiro Braathen delivers under pressure

Carrying a healthy advantage into the second run, Pinheiro Braathen showed no hesitation. He attacked the upper flats, handled the changing rhythm and entered the pitch with confidence.

On the steep, he found the grip to execute clean turns and stay committed through the offset. His skiing combined aggression with an almost Zen-like calm, allowing him to keep pushing without looking rushed.

With the pressure of the final start, he delivered from top to bottom. Another Levi victory and two wins in two races mark an exceptional opening to his season.

Levi men’s slalom: Final top five

Pinheiro Braathen carries confidence into Gurgl

Carrying a healthy advantage into the second run, Pinheiro Braathen showed no hesitation. He attacked the upper flats, handled the changing rhythm and entered the pitch with confidence. His skiing combined aggression with an almost Zen-like calm, delivering another Levi victory and his second win in two races this season.

Afterward, he credited that freedom to keeping his focus on his own skiing.

“I’m just trying to make myself my biggest competitor and focus on the tasks at hand, the things that I’m working on in training,” he said. “It is when I’m able to feel that I am having a lot of fun when I’m skiing, that I know that I’m letting go. And that’s what it felt like today. Just a lot of fun.”

Returning to the site of Brazil’s first alpine World Cup victory added another layer of emotion.

“It’s rather emotional looking back one year ago in this very place where we won the first Brazilian World Cup victory in ski racing,” he said. “Everything that’s happened ever since, allowing me to come here and win in front of these amazing fans yet again.”

He also thanked the people who make his career possible.

“I just want to thank everyone around me and make sure that I even have the possibility to do this for a living, let alone win.”

Next comes Gurgl, where he hopes to build on his early momentum.

“It’s going to be a challenging one,” he said. “Going to capitalise off of the confidence that today gives me, know where I’m at and bring that trust onto the next one.”

There was still one decision left: naming his newest reindeer. After naming last year’s Bjørn after his father, Pinheiro Braathen needed a little more time.

“Give me the five minutes I have of interviews until I decide, please,” he joked. “I was focusing on trying to win this damn thing.”

Noël finds a cleaner line to second

Noël handled the upper terrain and demanding combinations with strong, smooth skiing before finding a cleaner entry onto the pitch than in his first run. He linked his turns with greater precision on the steep and carried that speed onto the lower flats.

A green light at the finish put him provisionally ahead, with only Pinheiro Braathen ultimately bettering his combined time.

“Good to start with podium and really looking forward for the rest of the season,” Noël said. “Try to beat Lucas, but for sure today was a good day and it starts the season perfectly.”

The result continued his impressive record in Levi, with Noël noting that he has reached the podium in each of his last four appearances.

“I think I like the hill. I like the place. The atmosphere here is really great,” he said. “And also I like to start the season. I’m always excited.”

Looking ahead to Gurgl, Noël expects a different challenge and another competitive field.

“The hill is different and we all know that there’s going to be a lot of contenders,” he said. “I will just try to focus on myself, ski fast and bring the confidence from Levi to Gurgl.”

Meillard’s composure earns third

Meillard charged out of the start and found his timing on the pitch, using the available grip to stay committed through the demanding turns.

Calm and controlled, he carried his speed onto the lower flats, crossing into the provisional lead before Noël and Pinheiro Braathen ultimately pushed him to third.

“Solid skiing without anything crazy,” Meillard said. “So good to be on the podium and start the slalom season strong.”

The result marked his second Levi podium and gave him podium finishes in both of his opening races this season. Despite that consistency, Meillard believes there is more speed to come.

“Some strong skiing, not at the limit, not anything too crazy,” he said. “So I know that there is some speed to find and to improve. So it’s good also for the confidence.”

It was a strong start to the slalom season for the veteran and 2026 Olympic slalom champion.

We’re also sending our best to his sister, Mélanie Meillard, who will miss the season with a torn ACL, and wishing her a smooth recovery and a strong return to snow.

A demanding second-run set

The French-set second run presented a different challenge on Levi Black. Greater offset and tricky hairpin combinations over the rolling terrain demanded patience and precision, with racers working to generate speed while staying on line through the upper flats.

A combo led into the steep pitch, changing the rhythm at a critical point. With temperatures dropping and the surface becoming slicker, racers needed secure grip and clean direction to stay on line. Larger turns near the bottom punished mistakes, making the exit onto the finishing flats especially important.

Straddles became a recurring storyline in Levi, with little margin for error through the combinations. A more upright stance and an emphasis on precision are clear trends in the men’s slalom skiing so far this season. As racers push for tighter lines and bring their feet closer to the gates, does that leave them more vulnerable to straddling? Only time will tell.

North Americans: 🇨🇦 Wallace Scores First World Cup Points With 21st Place

🇨🇦 CAN Liam Wallace Earns Career Milestone

Liam Wallace’s 21st-place finish gave the Canadian plenty to celebrate as he continues his comeback from a crash two years ago that left him fighting for his life with a collapsed lung.

Wallace lost his rhythm through the heavy offset and rolling terrain near the top of the second run, but regrouped and settled into his skiing to reach the finish and earn his first World Cup points.

“Run two, I’m a little bittersweet about because I feel like I lost a lot of time, but overall I’m pretty psyched about how I’m feeling,” Wallace said.

The result also marked an encouraging start with his new team and put Canada back in the slalom points.

“I feel like it’s where we definitely can be and where we belong,” he said.

🇺🇸 USA Ben Ritchie’s Second Run Ends Early

Ben Ritchie’s second run came undone on the upper flats, where he was knocked off balance and unable to recover. The American recorded a DNF after qualifying for the second run in the season’s opening slalom.

Great Britain: Major Finishes 15th After a Tough Second Run

🇬🇧 Billy Major Takes 15th

Billy Major took time to find his rhythm on the second course, struggling to generate the speed he wanted through the upper section. He handled the steep pitch with control to finish 15th as Britain’s sole finisher.

“I didn’t quite execute that second run there, but yeah, I gave it everything,” Major said. “There were a couple key gates that I just didn’t quite nail and carry my speed.”

Despite those missed opportunities, Major welcomed a points finish to open his season and expressed excitement about the next generation of British racers building on Dave Ryding’s legacy.

“Dave obviously led the way. We’re there to try and carry on what he started,” he said. “There’s some amazing young talent coming through and it’s really exciting to see.”

🇬🇧 Laurie Taylor Pushes Hard but Straddles

At one of his favourite venues, Laurie Taylor attacked from the start, carrying speed through the upper flats and making several impressive recoveries.

But the mistakes accumulated as he continued to push, and a straddle ultimately resulted in disqualification.

British and North American Sector Analysis: Where Time Was Won and Lost

The second-run sector comparison with race winner Pinheiro Braathen highlights contrasting performances from Billy Major, Liam Wallace, Ben Ritchie and Laurie Taylor.

Wallace opened strongly, gaining 0.22 seconds on the Brazilian in Sector 1. However, a costly second sector saw him surrender 1.57 seconds. He recovered 0.18 through the steep third sector before losing another 0.29 in the final section, completing the run 1.46 seconds slower than Pinheiro Braathen and finishing 21st overall.

Major delivered a more balanced run, gaining 0.07 seconds in the opening sector and 0.03 in the third. Losses of 0.27 in Sector 2 and 0.31 in the final section left him 0.48 seconds slower than the winner across the second run, securing 15th overall.

Ritchie lost 0.17 seconds in the opening sector and just 0.02 in the second before his run ended in a DNF.

Taylor’s recorded splits showed competitive pace in the first and third sectors, but his straddle resulted in disqualification.

Where Pinheiro Braathen Won: Final Top Five Sector Comparison

The second-run timing analysis shows how Pinheiro Braathen’s opening-run advantage proved decisive, even as his closest rivals gained ground on the steep pitch.

Noël completed the second run 0.09 seconds faster than the Brazilian. However, Pinheiro Braathen’s 0.65-second first-run cushion left him with a winning margin of 0.56 seconds.

The third sector produced the biggest gains against the eventual winner. Noël picked up 0.47 seconds through that section, while Meillard gained 0.51. Pinheiro Braathen responded in the final sector, taking back 0.16 seconds against Noël and 0.12 against Meillard to secure victory.

Meillard was 0.35 seconds faster than Pinheiro Braathen across the second run, but his opening-run deficit left him third overall, 0.73 seconds behind.

Further down the standings, Vinatzer mounted the strongest second-run charge among the final top five. He gained 0.30 seconds in the opening sector, another 0.12 in the second and 0.63 in the third. Despite giving back 0.12 in the final section, he finished the run 0.93 seconds faster than Pinheiro Braathen and secured fifth overall, just 0.01 behind fourth-place Fabian Ax Swartz.

The difference was clear: Pinheiro Braathen built his advantage in the morning and delivered enough speed in the afternoon to defend it.

Ax Swartz impresses with fourth place

Fabian Ax Swartz delivered a career-best fourth-place finish, edging Italy’s Alex Vinatzer by just 0.01 seconds. The talented young Swede, racing with his own program outside the national team, brought an attacking approach from the start.

He entered the steep pitch with confidence, finding the grip to stay committed through the turns and carrying his speed onto the lower flats. The green light at the finish put him provisionally ahead of Vinatzer and ultimately secured a place just outside the podium.

Ax Swartz arrived in Levi encouraged by his recent training, but the result provided an extra boost heading into Gurgl.

“Having the result in your back is always good. You know that you can be fast,” he said. “For sure now I’m more motivated than ever to be a bit faster.”

Vinatzer Charges From 23rd to Fifth

Alex Vinatzer produced the fastest second run by 0.58 seconds, charging from 23rd after the opening run to fifth overall.

The Italian was strong out of the start and found consistent grip through the demanding offset. Clean, committed skiing allowed him to carry speed through the pitch and set a benchmark that nobody could match in the second run. His 18-place climb was one of the standout performances of the day.

Race Results

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Run Analysis: Leaders & Qualified North Americans