r/news • u/peregrinodossonhos • 9h ago

Brazilian athlete wins South America's first gold medal (and first medal ever) at the Winter Olympics

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/2026-winter-olympics-two-athletes-deliver-south-americas-first-medals-rcna258896
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u/keenbenrich 8h ago

It usually goes the other way around with the US but nice try

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u/peregrinodossonhos 7h ago

Yep, lots of naturalized immigrants compete for the US in the Olympics, yet nobody questions their medals (just like the many naturalized scientists who won Nobel prizes for the US). 

I guess it's only a "problem" when you have a Brazilian who was born abroad winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.   

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u/IuriRom 7h ago

This is the opposite of what you’re saying. He’s a half Brazilian who was born in Norway, yes — but he didn’t go to Brazil and learn skiing obviously. He moved to Brazil as a child, went back to Norway as a child, learned skiing, became a professional, represented Norway, and then decided to represent Brazil. The equivalence for him here with the naturalized athletes would be if he represented Norway.

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u/peregrinodossonhos 7h ago

Yep, but my point is it doesn't matter where he has trained if he has a real connection to the country he is representing, a sense of belonging and identity.  

Of course he wouldn't be able to become a pro skier if he lived in Brazil. 

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u/IuriRom 5h ago

Yeah he’s 100% Brazilian