On a night of track and field drama, the Olympic stadium saved the best for last.
A stirring "can-you-top-this?" pole-vault competition kept most fans in their seats until just before midnight. It was worth the wait, especially for the locals, as 22-year-old upstart Thiago Braz da Silva not only won Brazil's second gold of these Olympics, but upset Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie and set an Olympic record of 6.03 meters (19.78 feet).
France's Lavillenie thought he had the gold won and his own Olympic record set when he cleared 5.98. But urged on by a vocal home crowd, Da Silva had the bar set higher.