In his second attempt at 6.03 meters, Braz da Silva was able to successfully vault over the bar, and doing so, he set a new Olympic record. He left indoor world record holder and French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie in second place, winning silver, and Sam Kendricks in third place, taking home the bronze for Team U.S.A.
With this milestone, Braz da Silva was able to improve his previous personal best (5.93 meters) by 11 centimeters, and he beat all the odds. He also extended his own South American record in pole vault. As a result of this victory, he became the first male athlete from Brazil to win an Olympic title in athletics since Joaquim Cruz won the 800 meter race in Los Angeles 32 years ago.
Most impressive about Braz da Silva is that he is only 22 years old, and he gave the performance of a lifetime at the Olympic Games, which were held in his hometown.
In 2012, Braz da Silva won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships that took place in Barcelona, Spain.
To learn more about Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva, check him out on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
