On February 14, Brazilian alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became South America’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist, winning the giant slalom competition in Bormio, Italy.
Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother, Braathen competed for Norway until 2023, when he announced his retirement at just 23. At the time, he said he had lost his “joy of living.” The decision followed a dispute with the Norwegian Ski Federation over marketing rights. Braathen’s side work as a model ultimately conflicted with the federation’s sponsorship regulations.
But there was a deeper layer to the conflict: Braathen’s exuberant personality. The athlete wears colorful nail polish, sports bold hairstyles, and embraces fashion. Like a Brazilian soccer star, he celebrates victories by dancing samba. He recently began a relationship with a well-known Brazilian actress. Looking back now, it’s hard to imagine him fitting comfortably within the Law of Jante — Scandinavia’s cultural code that discourages individualism and standing out.
Braathen loves to stand out in the crowd. In an interview for the official Olympics website, he states: “There’s nothing I love more than feeling like I get to be the man of the hour, the man of the show.” In a Red Bull ad, the athlete put it even more plainly: “I’m an individualist. Always been. Always will be.”
Back in 2023, Braathen’s retirement sparked a humorous reaction from former ski racing star Felix Neureuther, who wrote on social media: “I can’t believe it. If it’s because of the federation, I’d marry you so you could compete for Germany. My wife would be completely fine with that.”
Ultimately, Braathen chose to represent his mother’s country. Brazil had no deep tradition in the Winter Games. While its delegation of 14 athletes at Milano Cortina 2026 was the country’s largest ever, it was still small — by comparison, Norway had 80 athletes competing in Italy. With a population of only 5.7 million people, Norway topped the 2026 Winter Olympics medal table, beating the United States.
Yet Brazil offered Braathen something crucial: a cultural environment where he could be fully himself.
The alpine skier even served as one of the flag bearers during the inaugural ceremony in Milan — while skeleton racer Nicole Silveira carried the flag in Cortina, showcasing her dance moves alongside her teammates. It’s no surprise Braathen feels more at ease representing Brazil.
“Norway taught me how to be an athlete, how to brave the cold. Brazil taught me how to be myself,” Braathen once stated.
Moments after his triumph, he told the media: “I hope I can inspire some kids out there that, despite what they wear, despite how they look, despite where they come from, they can follow their own dreams and be who they really are. Because that is the real source of happiness in life.”
The same day, Norway’s newspaper Aftenposten featured a columnist who wrote: “Braathen is the peacock of skiing. (…) But don’t be fooled. More than anything, he’s an elite, dedicated athlete.”
What this means for tech leaders
Braathen’s story is a reminder that performance is also about the right environment. In tech companies, the same principle applies. A brilliant engineer may thrive in one organization and struggle in another, not because of competence, but because of cultural alignment.
Large tech companies, with their established structures and clearly defined ways of working, can resemble the Norwegian Ski Federation: powerful, disciplined, successful — but not always flexible. For some personalities, that structure is energizing and empowering. For others, it can feel suffocating.
Startups and smaller tech companies, on the other hand, often offer what Brazil represented for Braathen: room for individuality, experimentation, flexibility, and the opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up.
For technical recruiters and hiring managers, the takeaway is that skills are only part of the equation. Technical ability gets a brilliant developer through the door, but cultural fit determines whether they will stay. During the hiring process and through employer branding efforts, interviewers should communicate how decisions are made, how feedback is delivered, how conflict is handled, and what behaviors are valued and rewarded.
The goal isn’t to attract every talented developer out there, but to attract those who will thrive in your environment.
At the same time, leaders should reflect inward. If someone has the potential to “win gold” for your company but brings a different style, personality, or perspective, it may be worth asking: Is the culture too rigid? Could greater flexibility unlock exceptional performance? Could greater flexibility unlock exceptional performance? Sometimes, the question isn’t whether the candidate fits your culture but whether your culture is adaptable enough to accommodate outstanding talent.
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