Federations vs Freedom: Trapped Lucas Bratheen’s Sudden Exit From Skiing Reiterates the Mental Cost of Being a Champion

The world of Alpine skiing is filled with sheer determination, courage, and unrelenting grit. In this thrilling world, Norwegian alpine skier Lucas Braathen has become a renowned name. The 23-year-old started his skiing career at just 18 years of age during the 2018–19 winter season. And in the past few years, he has podiumed a total of 12 times and has won five races.

He also won the Slalom FIS World Cup Crystal Globe in 2023, marking his name and dominance in the sport. Fans were excited to see the young star once again demonstrate his immeasurable talent at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup opener in Sölden, Austria, which kicks off on October 28–29, 2023. However, a day before the prestigious event, Lucas Braathen surprisingly announced his retirement from the sport. This shocked fans and the ski community worldwide. His decision further shed light on the mental pressure and restricted freedom that athletes struggle with.

Lucas Braathen feels free after Alpine Skiing exit

Recently, Lucas Braathen took to Instagram and shared a video that had him racing down a snowy slope. Braathen precise skills were shown as he swooshed down in style. The mesmerizing video ended with him staring intensely into the camera followed by a cut switching to a black background with the words “thank you” in many different languages. In his caption, the 23-year-old wrote, “Thank you” with a heart. Moments before this update on the 27th of October, at a press conference ahead of the new alpine skiing season, Braathen announced his untimely retirement. The young powerhouse of talent announced, “I’m done. For the first time in my career, I feel free. For me to continue skiing in this system, I not only had to put my dreams aside but also my happiness. I’m not ready to do that. That said, I’m happy to announce that at the place where I won my very first World Cup race, I’m retiring. I’m done…” This news comes in light of a recent controversy between Braathen and the Norwegian Ski Federation over a marketing campaign.

In Norway, Ski athletes don’t control their own marketing and image rights. Their marketing and image rights are with the Ski Association of the country. The clash occurred when he got into a dispute with the Norwegian Ski Federation over a marketing campaign with the Swedish brand, J. Lindeberg. This was because the federation’s main clothing supplier and sponsor is Helly Hansen (Lindeberg’s rival brand). The decision made by him to proceed with modeling for J. Lindeberg’s marketing campaign was seen as an act of defiance by many. It is speculated that this could lead to him not being allowed to compete in the World Cup. However, before any escalation, Braathen took matters into his own hands. He has made the decision to choose his happiness over the terms set by the association. Furthermore, he is also not the first Norwegian skier to have a disagreement with the Ski Association this year.

Another Norwegian skier who faced challenges with the association

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the renowned Norwegian cross-country skier, had been in a standoff with the Norwegian Ski Association over the terms of a representation agreement necessary for his participation in upcoming World Cup races. The impasse primarily revolved around Klæbo’s request for around nine days of leave from the national team and issue over a personal sponsor’s logo on his ski suit. The Ski Association eventually had offered a compromise that allowed Klæbo to have a private sponsor’s logo on his clothing with some conditions and specified periods when he would be part of the national team.

Frustrated by his negotiations being misconstrued as money-centric, Klæbo decided to accept the Ski Association’s wishes, which meant removing a sponsor’s logo (Uno-X) from his National Team suit ahead of the World Cup. With this decision, he hoped to compete in the World Cup, emphasizing that his main goal is the 2025 World Championships, not just financial matters. Athletes like Braathen and Klæbo have had to make tough choices between choosing their passion for skiing over their happiness and freedom.

Read more: Is Winter the Real Competition for Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt This FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2023/24

While Johannes Klæbo decided to sign the contract and agreement, putting his skiing dreams above all else, Braathen, on the other hand, has shed light on the stringent rules and guidelines that often make athletes claustrophobic and tied down with pressure, and he reiterated the mental cost that comes with being a champion.

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