Thiago Braz


Thiago Braz da Silva is a Brazilian athlete specializing in the pole vault. He is the current reigning Olympic Gold medalist and holds the Olympic record of 6.03 metres.

Career

In 2012 he won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships.
In 2013 he became the South American champion with a new outdoor area record of 5.83 metres. On 24 June 2015 he set a new record of 5.92 metres in Baku, Azerbaijan.
On 13 February 2016 he extended the South American indoor record to 5.93 metres in Berlin, Germany.
On 15 August 2016, at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, it happened perhaps the most positively unexpected results for the host nation in that edition of the Olympic Games. Thiago Braz da Silva won gold medal in men's pole vault in a thrilling duel with French pole-vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, the incumbent world record holder and gold medalist in London/2012. In the final, Lavillenie and Braz were the only 2 athletes to achieve the high of 5.93m and consequently they were the only 2 left to dispute the gold medal. Lavillenie managed to clear the next height, 5.98m, easily with his first attempt, but da Silva decided to skip 5.98m and went on to 6.03m. With a successful second attempt at 6.03m, da Silva set a new Olympic Record. Lavillenie, having failed his first two attempts at 6.03m, attempted 6.08 with his final jump but failed, knocking the bar off with his knee. Thiago Braz da Silva won the gold medal with an Olympic record and surpassing his personal best performance in 10 cm, despite never having won a medal in a senior global competition. He was just 1 cm away from matching Brad Walker's Americas record, of 6.04 m, accomplished on June 8, 2008.

Competition record

iAR = indoor AR