Thiago Braz from São Paulo won this Sunday (20) the silver medal in the pole vault at the indoor World Championships in Athletics, held in Belgrade (Serbia). Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro and bronze at the Tokyo Games (Japan), the Brazilian became the first man in the country to reach the podium in this event in the event’s history.
IT’S PRAAAAAAAATA! ???
It is an unprecedented medal in Worlds for Thiago Braz.
With 5.95m, our Olympic champion put on a show in Belgrade ??
He doesn’t stop making history! ? pic.twitter.com/vqvXxMmYEW
— Team Brazil (@timebrasil) March 20, 2022
Thiago jumped at 5.95 meters, setting the new South American indoor record, second only to Armand Duplantis. Gold in Tokyo, the Swede broke the world record, which was already his, by overcoming the bar at 6.20 meters. He owns the top four all-time marks in the pole vault. American Christopher Nilsen, with 5.90 meters, completed the podium in Belgrade, taking bronze.
FLASH: @mondohoss600 ?? breaks world record with superb 6.20m to get pole vault ? in Belgrade #WorldIndoorChamps
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 20, 2022
The competition for medals was concentrated in four athletes. Frenchman Valentin Lavillenie (brother of Renaud Lavillenie, beaten by Thiago in the Rio Olympics) followed the pace of the trio that went to the podium up to 5.85 meters, but left the fight by not overcoming the bar at 5.90 meters. Nilsen was left behind when Duplantis and the Brazilian passed the 5.95 meters. The paulista tried to jump to 6.05 meters, which could be the best mark of his career, but failed. The way was then clear for the Swede to secure the gold and seek to break his own world record.
Also this Sunday, Thiago Moura, from the high jump, set in Belgrade the new Brazilian and South American record for the indoor race, with 2.31 meters. The brand was the same that won the silver medals to the Swiss Loïc Gasch and the bronze medals to the New Zealander Hamish Kerr and the Italian Gianmarco Tamberi. In the tie-breaking criteria, they were ahead of the Paulista, who finished fifth.
IT’S A SOUTH AMERICAN RECORD! ???
It’s by Thiago Moura, in the high jump.
The Brazilian surpassed 2.31m and took 5th place in the Indoor World ??
Great result for ??
? @wcarmo14 /CBat pic.twitter.com/LtJKcNuLun
— Team Brazil (@timebrasil) March 20, 2022
Also from São Paulo, Fernando Ferreira (former holder of the Brazilian record, alongside Talles Frederico from Minas Gerais) did not go beyond 2.24 meters and finished seventh. Despite that, it was his best record of the season. The gold went to South Korean Sanghyeok Woo, who jumped 2.34 meters.
