Brazil has a new Olympic hero: Thiago Braz da Silva, who came almost from nowhere to win gold on Monday night (15 August) in a dramatic pole vault competition at the Olympic Stadium.

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With his winning vault of 6.03m, Braz defeated London 2012 champion Renaud Lavillenie of France and set a new Olympic record into the bargain.

Pole vaulter Thiago Braz delights Olympic Stadium by winning second gold for host nation

For the 22-year-old from the state of São Paulo is almost unknown in his own country and in the wider world of athletics.  Here are 10 factors behind the rise of the young man who won Brazil's first gold medal in men's athletics for more than 30 years.

1. Grandparents

Thiago Braz da Silva was only three years old when his mother abandoned him. He was brought up by his grandparents, who always encouraged him to follow his pole vaulting dream. "They were my parents, I owe them everything," Braz has said.

2. Family man

Braz has been married since the early age of 21. Wife Ana Paula de Olivieira is also an athlete and has helped Braz at difficult times, such as when he was recovering from an injury back in 2014.

3. Faith

Thiago often mentions God in his interviews, although he prefers not to be called religious. He has a close connection to his priest, who has supported him on his journey to gold.

4. Commitment

Braz trains in Italy, in the town of Fórmia near Rome. Braz's hard work here has led to silver medals in the Youth Olympic Games and now gold at Rio 2016. He also picked up English and Italian along the way.

Thiago Braz had to wait in the rain to complete his historic vault on Monday (15 August) (Photo: Getty Images/Paul Gilham)

5. Training

Braz trains under the watchful eye of none other than Ukraine's Vitaly Petrov, who also trained pole vaulting legends Sergei Bubka and Yelena Isinbayeva.

6. Lows..

Braz had a difficult couple of years before Rio 2016, suffering an injury and then failing at the Pan American Games of Toronto in 2015. That frustration turned into a valuable learning experience.

7. …and highs

Supported by Petrov, Braz worked on his technique and on the always crucial psychological and strategic elements of pole vaulting. At Rio 2016, he reaped the greatest reward possible in the discipline.

8. Home crowd hero

It was a night to remember in the Olympic Stadium. Buoyed by fervent support from a partisan crowd, Braz was able to channel the energy of thousands of fans into Brazil's first men's athletics gold since Los Angeles 1984.

Thiago Braz fulfilled his dream by winning gold in Rio (Photo: Getty Images/Alexander Hassentein)

9. Strategy

When Braz saw Renaud Lavillenie fly over 5.98m with ease, Petrov indicated to Braz that his time had come; the time to vault more than 6m for the first time in his life.

With an unforgettable, technically perfect vault, soaring 11cm above his previous personal best, Braz made Brazilian history and set a new Olympic record. "I've been waiting for it a long time," he said.

10. Rivalry

Braz and Renaud Lavillenie don't get along. According to Braz, the Frenchman hasn't spoken to him for more than a year. Braz gets along better with US bronze medal winner Sam Hendricks, who was among the first to congratulate him for after he jumped into the record books and into Brazilian sporting history.

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