<\/p>\n
As the snow fell in Bormio, and the fog settled in, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history by becoming the first South American to win a Winter Olympic medal. Then, as the realisation that he had won gold for Brazil<\/a> in the men\u2019s giant slalom, he collapsed to the floor and allowed the tears to flow.<\/p>\n \u201cI just hope that Brazilians look at this and truly understand that your difference is your superpower,\u201d he said, still sobbing away. \u201cIt may show up in your skin or in the way you dress. But I hope this inspires every kid out there who feels a bit different to trust who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n On the back of his helmet, Pinheiro Braathen has in big letters \u201cVamos Dancar\u201d \u2013 \u201cLet\u2019s Dance.\u201d And he certainly did that on his first run, establishing a stunning 0.95sec lead over the Swiss legend Marco Odermatt.<\/p>\n Braathen\u2019s performance was so good that only seven skiers were within two seconds of his pace, and while he leaked away some of his advantage with some ragged turns in his second run, he held his nerve to win gold by 0.58sec. \u201cIt really was one hell of a first run and I was able to keep composed and balanced in the second run,\u201d explained the 25-year-old who collapsed to the snow at the finish before rising up and holding his skis aloft. He then sought out his father, Bjorn, for a long embrace.<\/p>\n