Saturday couldn’t get any better for Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. The 25-year-old Brazilian alpine skier won gold in the men’s giant slalom, taking down the dominant Marco Odermatt of Switzerland to make some history.

Alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen made history on Saturday by delivering to Brazil - and the whole of South America - their first Olympic gold with victory in the giant slalom but the 25-year-old's influence extends well beyond the slopes.

BORMIO, Italy — The first South American gold medalist in the history of the Winter Olympics paints his nails, loves to samba dance and credits the Brazilian men’s soccer team for cultivating his love for sports. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen also believes his triumph Saturday in the men’s giant slalom at these Games “was written for me.”

Brazil has long reigned supreme in the World Cup and Summer Olympics under the banner of the "Samba Army," but it has had no presence in the Winter Olympics. This is unsurprising, as Brazil is a tropical country with scorching heat for most of the year,

Equinox agreed to sell its Brazilian operations to CMOC Group in a $1 billion deal that is expected to be completed in the current quarter.