Lavillenie did not enter the competition until 5.75m, by which point several of his key opponents had made their exit on a hard night for vaulting, including Canada’s 22-year-old world champion Shawnacy Barber, who could not go beyond 5.50m.
Advertisement
The unfancied 22-year-old fed off the boisterous support, adding 11 centimetres to his lifetime best as he set a new Olympic Record of 6.03 metres.
Da Silva also became only the 20th man to pass the iconic six-meter barrier. The pro-Brazilian crowd erupted into rapturous applause.
Usa runner Allyson Felix was bidding to become the first woman in Olympic athletics to win a fifth gold medal but despite catching up with Miller on the home stretch, a desperate lunge over the line gave the Bahamian gold in a personal best 49.44 seconds. Nobody has succeeded in defending the Olympic pole vault title since American Bob Richards in 1956.
Sam Kendricks took bronze for the United States after clearing 5.85, with Czech Jan Kudlicka and Piotr Lisek of Poland in fourth. “My home town wanted me to win”, – an elated da Silva after his astonishing pole vault triumph.
Lavillenie’s final attempts in Monday’s competition were marked by deafening booing and catcalls as he prepared to jump.
“It’s incredible. My first time over six metres”, the delighted victor said.
However, he said the organising committee would not cut the cost of the remaining tickets as it was a private company determined to deliver the Games without public subsidy and therefore needed the ticket revenues. I think this helped a little bit, but I understand the people from Brazil, they want the guy from Brazil to win.
Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada addressed the crowd behavior at his daily briefing on Tuesday.
Early on, Lavillenie did all the right things.
“We plan to intensify our dialogue with Brazilian fans through social networks to make sure that we behave as fans in a proper and elegant manner, without losing the passion for sport”.
“It’s awful to see that at the Olympic Games”.
Da Silva claimed a shock gold with his second attempt at 6.03m to win Brazil’s second gold of the Games.
Da Silva’s heroics somewhat overshadowed another imperious display by Rudisha, who two months ago was struggling badly with injuries. The host country was aiming for a top 10 finish before Rio 2016 began. But Brazil faces an uphill battle to keep that record intact.
Advertisement
After Da Silva eventually won out, Lavillenie failing at his last height in a final bid for gold (his best height being 5.98), the small section of the crowd remaining around the pole vault area continued to celebrate wildly; Lavillenie, meanwhile, simply stood stone-faced and silent in front of his coach. Still chanting Braz name.
