Olympics: Brazil’s Da Silva stuns Lavillenie to win pole vault title

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 16, (APP/AFP) – Unheralded  Brazilian Thiago Braz Da Silva sent the home crowd wild Monday as he trumped France’s defending Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie to win the men’s pole vault title.

In a thrilling competition in which Lavillenie was jeered every time  he vaulted, Da Silva won gold with an Olympic record of 6.03 metres.

Lavillenie pitched everything on a last-gasp vault at 6.08m, but  failed and had to be content with silver with a best of 5.98m. American Sam Hendricks took bronze with 5.85.