Edwards skier River Radamus places 17th to lead Team USA in men’s Olympic giant slalom as Brazilian claims historic gold

On a challenging day that included snow and rain, River Radamus led the U.S. with a 17th-place finish in the Olympic giant slalom on Saturday morning in Bormio, Italy.

The Edwards skier dropped five places in his second run on the Stelvio slope, finishing 2.96 seconds off of the winning time set by Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.

“It’s a tough business. You know, I devote my entire life to standing on that podium there, knowing full well that the odds are against me,” Radamus said. “It’s difficult on a day like this. You dream big and you want to see that happen. But it’s a blessing to be able to dream and to be able to try.”

Marco Odermatt claimed silver and Loic Meillard took the bronze as the Swiss put three in the top four. Ryder Sarchett was 25th in his Olympic debut while the third American starter, Kyle Negomir posted a DNF in the first run.

Braathen’s gold was the first-ever medal for Brazil at the Winter Olympics.

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“I was skiing completely according to my intuition and my heart today, and that’s what enabled me to become an Olympic champ,” Pinheiro Braathen — who switched allegiance from Norway to Brazil in 2024 after briefly quitting — told Reuters.

Radamus placed fourth in the GS in Beijing four years ago and has been ranked 12th or better in the discipline cup standings the last three years running. He earned his first World Cup podium in the event in 2024 at Palisades Tahoe. Coming into the Olympics, the GS was the primary focus for Radamus, though the former Ski and Snowboard Club Vail athlete also contested the team combined event with fellow SSCV alumni Kyle Negomir last week. On Saturday, Radamus said the conditions were “challenging for sure,” but he didn’t make excuses.

“A lot of spray comes on the goggles, so you’re skiing by feel a little bit, but the surface was good,” the 27-year-old said. “I felt like I gave myself a chance. Obviously, like I said, I made a couple mistakes, but I thought my mentality and the way I committed was good.”

Braathen earned a 0.95-second advantage over Odermatt after the first run, with Meillard 1.57 seconds back. Only six skiers were within two clicks of the Brazilian. Radamus set in 12th, 2.46 seconds back.

“You had to be pretty much flawless — you couldn’t make any mistakes,” Radamus said after his first trip through the 1,448-meter course. The Edwards skier said the key was “carrying speed” right from the top.

“That first pitch is where you make the speed for the rest of the course. I had a little bobble there and then I got a couple more times I was kicked around through the course, but I’m really proud of my commitment and I’m in the mix,” he said. “I know I have a puncher’s chance at it and I have nothing to lose, so I’m going to give it all I have in the next run.”

While Radamus posted the second-quickest third sector on run No. 2, he was just the 24th-best on the second run overall.

“It’s always hard to say on a day like this — no one’s necessarily feeling like they had an amazing run, but I thought I gave myself a chance. Clock just didn’t agree,” Radamus stated. “The best guys in the world are showing why they’re the best guys in the world today.”

Sarchett, 22, was “stoked” about his debut. The CU Buff skier, who hails from Ketchum, Idaho, felt like he made up for a disappointing first run with “some good turns” on the second.

“I think it brings a lot of confidence into my next Olympics hopefully,” he said. “To be at the top level is the ultimate goal in this sport and it’s a lot closer than I think, but it’s also going to take a lot of work.” 

Radamus and Sarchett will wrap up their Milan Cortina Olympic experience with the slalom on Monday.