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| Thiago Braz da Silva | |
|---|---|
| Name | Thiago Braz da Silva |
| Nationality | Brazil |
| Birth date | 16 December 1993 |
| Birth place | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Height | 1.89 m |
| Weight | 88 kg |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Pole vault |
| Club | Pinheiros |
| Coach | Vitaly Petrov |
Thiago Braz da Silva is a Brazilian track and field athlete specialized in the pole vault who won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He emerged from youth competitions into global prominence by defeating established champions and setting national and continental marks. His career intersects with major figures and events in international athletics and Brazilian sport.
Born in Rio de Janeiro to parents of Amazonian and Afro-Brazilian descent, Braz developed an early interest in athletics through local clubs and school programs in Brazil. He trained in municipal facilities before joining the Esporte Clube Pinheiros system and working with coaches who had ties to international training centers in Europe, including contacts in Russia and Ukraine. During adolescence he competed at events such as the South American Youth Championships in Athletics and the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, gaining exposure to coaches from USA and France. His development occurred amid broader Brazilian sporting investments tied to preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Braz first gained continental attention at regional meets including the South American Championships in Athletics and the Ibero-American Championships in Athletics, before stepping onto the world stage at the IAAF World U20 Championships and the IAAF World Indoor Championships. He faced competitors from the United States, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Sweden, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Iceland, and Switzerland in continental and global meetings. He competed on the Diamond League circuit and at national championships including the Brazilian Athletics Championships and trials for multi-sport events such as the Pan American Games.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Braz entered the men's pole vault final against favorites including athletes from France and Germany with prior titles from the World Championships in Athletics and the European Athletics Championships. In a dramatic final he cleared a personal best to secure the gold, joining Brazil's roster of Olympic champions alongside names associated with the Brazil national football team and stars from the Comité Olímpico do Brasil. His victory was celebrated by Brazilian political figures and sports institutions such as the Confederação Brasileira de Atletismo and drew commentary from international bodies like the International Association of Athletics Federations and broadcasters covering the Olympic Games across BBC Sport, ESPN, NBC Sports, Rede Globo and other media. The outcome influenced selections for subsequent events including the 2017 World Championships in Athletics and invitations to international meets such as the IAAF Continental Cup.
Braz's technical approach combines aspects of methods developed by coaches with pedigrees tracing to schools associated with Vitaly Petrov, who coached Olympic champion Sergey Bubka and influenced pole vaulting methodology across Ukraine and Russia. His technique emphasizes a high grip, dynamic plant, and inverted clearing using fiberglass and carbon fiber poles produced by manufacturers that supply athletes competing in the Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tours. He has experimented with pole lengths and flex ratings similar to those used by vaulters from Germany and France and uses run-up analysis informed by sports science teams connected to universities and institutes in United States and United Kingdom. Equipment choices adhere to standards set by World Athletics for international competition.
Braz has engaged with Brazilian cultural figures and institutions, appearing on programs produced by broadcasters such as Rede Globo and participating in events tied to the Brazilian Olympic Committee. He has been photographed with politicians and celebrities from Rio de Janeiro and has relationships with sponsors and brands active in Brazilian sport and fashion markets. His public image intersects with discussions of national identity alongside other Brazilian athletes from football and volleyball; media coverage has referenced connections to communities in the North Region, Brazil and advocacy networks addressing social issues in urban neighborhoods. He has maintained training bases in Brazil and abroad, collaborating with coaches and support teams from Italy, Spain, Germany, United States, France, Ukraine, and Russia.
Braz's Olympic gold in 2016 stands as the pinnacle of his career, supplemented by national titles at the Brazilian Athletics Championships, continental medals at competitions such as the South American Championships in Athletics and performances on the IAAF Diamond League circuit. He set a personal best and Brazilian record during the 2016 Summer Olympics final and later performances have been recorded in meetings affiliated with World Athletics and regional federations. Honors have included recognition from municipal and national bodies in Brazil and invitations to prestigious meets like the Müller Anniversary Games, the Prefontaine Classic, the Meeting de Paris, and other European and American fixtures.
Category:Brazilian male pole vaulters Category:Olympic gold medalists for Brazil Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics