Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history on Saturday, February 14, 2026, winning a gold medal in the men's giant slalom at the Winter Olympics in Bormio, Italy, marking South America's first-ever Winter Olympics medal, according to NPR Politics. Braathen celebrated his victory with enthusiastic samba dancing, showcasing the emotional significance of the win.
The competition saw Switzerland's Marco Odermatt take silver and Loic Meillard, also from Switzerland, securing the bronze medal. The event took place amidst the 2026 Winter Olympics, with the Associated Press reporting on the jubilant atmosphere surrounding Braathen's historic achievement.
Meanwhile, U.S. Alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin faced disappointment, finishing another Olympic race without a medal in the giant slalom. According to NPR News, Shiffrin, who has won more World Cup races than any other skier in history and was the overall leader in this winter's World Cup standings, is running out of chances to medal in the 2026 Winter Games.
In other sports news, the Dutch women continued to dominate speedskating, with the Netherlands' supporters hoping for a strong showing in the 500-meter women's speedskating competition, according to Time. Jutta Leerdam, who had already won gold in the 1000m, was expected to finish second in the 500m, a strong suit for her teammate Femke Kok.
Outside of the Olympics, the music world saw J. Cole debut at No. 1 with the best first-week sales for an R&B/Hip-Hop album in nearly a year, as reported by Variety. Bad Bunny also experienced a surge in sales following the Super Bowl.
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