Brazil goes wild as homegrown hero claims gold in pole vault

UNHERALDED Brazilian Thiago Braz Da Silva sent the home crowd wild as he trumped France’s defending Olympic champion to win the men’s pole vault title.

Scott Gullan

less than 2 min read

August 16, 2016 - 3:45PM

News Corp Australia

Athletics

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Thiago Braz Da Silva was a 22-year-old former world junior champion who had previously done nothing in senior ranks.

At last year’s world championships in Beijing, he failed to get out of qualifying.

But you can’t measure the emotion of a hometown advantage at an Olympic Games and Da Silva channelled that to perfection.

Brazil's Thiago Da Silva celebrates after setting a new Olympic record to win the gold medal in the men's pole vault final.

In one of the more amazing moments of these games the Brazilian soared over 6.03m to win Olympic gold - his country’s second.

Da Silva took down defending Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie who managed silver after missing twice at 6.03m and then having a hail-mary at 6.08m.

American Sam Kendricks took bronze with 5.85m.

Brazil's Thiago Da Silva sets the new Olympic record to win the gold medal in the men's pole vault final.

Former pole vault champ Lavillenie says Brazil crowd booed him

“For me this is a happy day and for Brazilians,” da Silva said after the winning leap.

“My family are really happy, it’s beautiful. (The crowd) 100 per cent (helped) I tried not to lose.

“I am very happy. We worked really hard for this moment - not for the gold but to take a medal.

“The crowd were cheering me too much. I had to fix my mind on my technique, forget the people.”

Thiago Braz da Silva managed to outjump everyone else to claim gold in front of home fans.

Coming into the Games, Da Silva’s career best was just 5.93m but he changed his life when he cleared 6.03m on his second attempt.

Lavillenie - the world record holder at 6.16m - had also owned the Olympic record of 5.97m which he set at London four years ago.

Thiago Braz da Silva of Brazil does a lap of honour with his national flag after winning the pole vault title.

WHERE DA SILVA STANDS IN HISTORY

DA SILVA (BRA) became the first Brazilian man to win Olympic gold in athletics in 32 years, since Joaquim CRUZ (BRA) won the men's 800m.

The only other man from Brazil to win gold in athletics was Ademar FERREIRA DA SILVA (BRA), who won the Olympic title in the men's triple jump in 1952 and 1956.

DA SILVA became the first man from Brazil to win any medal in athletics at the Olympic Games since Vanderlei DE LIMA (BRA) claimed bronze in the men's marathon in 2004.

The last woman from Brazil to win a medal in athletics was Maurren MAGGI (BRA), when she won gold in the women's long jump in 2008.

This was the third time the gold medal in the men's pole vault was won in front of a home crowd after Charles DVORAK (USA) won in St. Louis in 1904 and Bill MILLER (USA) in Los Angeles in 1932.

DA SILVA also broke the Olympic record. The Olympic record in this event has now been broken in each of the last four Olympic Games.

This was the second gold medal for Brazil at the Rio Games after Rafaela SILVA(BRA) won the women's -57kg in judo.

Silver medallist Renaud LAVILLENIE (FRA) won gold in this event in 2012 and became the seventh man to win at least two Olympic medals in the pole vault.