French pole vaulter feels fans’ wrath

IOC boss slams ‘shocking behavior’ of Brazilian crowd during podium ceremony

For two days in a row, Thiago Braz da Silva was celebrated as a national hero in the Olympic Stadium, but on both days France’s Renaud Lavillenie was relentlessly booed by the home crowd.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach thinks enough is enough.

Bach described the jeering that emanated from the stands during Tuesday’s podium ceremony for the pole vault as “shocking behavior,” saying it was unacceptable at the Olympics.

The fans’ reaction reduced Lavillenie to tears during the ceremony.

“I wish this on no one,” he said, shocked that thousands of people would boo him again.

Da Silva had an upset win over the defending champion late on Monday, and thousands of fans kept on booing the Frenchman as he tried to reclaim the gold medal position during the thrilling late-night duel.

The raucous booing was meant to unsettle him, and it worked.

Instead of concentrating solely on his final jump, Lavillenie gave the home supporters the thumbs down.

He condemned the crowd’s behavior soon after the event ended, saying nothing like it had been seen since Jesse Owens took part in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Lavillenie quickly apologized and retracted his statement, but maintained the Brazilian fans were disregarding the Olympic spirit.

“If this is a nation where they only want Brazil and they spit on others, then you should not organize the Olympics,” he said on Tuesday, comments unlikely to endear him to the host nation.

Lavillenie had a good idea of what to expect at the medal presentation ceremony.

“I expected some whistles, and it would have shocked me, but I didn’t expect it to be so violent,” he said.

During the ceremony, da Silva raised his arms to calm the fans and applauded the silver medal of worldrecord holder Lavillenie, who won gold four years ago in London.

Soon the tears were rolling down Lavillenie’s face, and it was not because he had won silver.

“I held it till the moment longer could,” he said.

Lavillenie was consoled later by da Silva and Russian pole vault legend Sergei Bubka, an IOC member.

After the ceremony, the stadium announcer for the remainder of competition reminded the crowd to have “the utmost respect” for all athletes. I no

ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP Brazil’s gold medal champion Thiago Braz da Silva is flanked by France’s silver medal winner Renaud Lavillenie (left) and bronze medalist Sam Kendricks of the US during Tuesday’s pole vault medal ceremony.