Hypolito Takes Home the Silver in the Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2016 Rio Games

2016 Rio Games

The third time’s the charm for Diego Hypolito

The 30-year-old Brazilian gymnast took home the gymnastics silver medal in Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2016 Rio Games.

Diego Hypólito

Hypolito, a former world champion on floor, had failed to medal at his first two Olympics. But now, with the 2016 Summer Olympics in his home country, he has that long coveted medal.

But that’s not all, he was joined on the podium by teammate Arthur Nory, who took home the bronze.

Diego Hypólito & Arthur Nory

Nory crouched on the floor in a fetal position, covering his face with his hands while he waited for the American Sam Mikulak, the last gymnast, to finish. When Mikulak’s score was posted, assuring Nory he would get a medal, he began sobbing as the crowd serenaded him and Hypolito with cheers of “Bra-sil! Bra-sil!”

Hypolito cried on his coach’s shoulder and then hugged Nory. The two grabbed a Brazilian flag and jumped up on a nearby podium to wave to the adoring crowd. The two medals give Brazil six medals at these Olympics, and Sunday gave the home country one of its best moments so far.

Diego Hypólito & Arthur Nory

The gold medal went to Britain’s Max Whitlock.

This was the first time Brazil had qualified a full men’s team to compete at an Olympics, and a medal of any color is sweet for Hypolito. He went to the 2008 Beijing Games as the reigning world champion on floor exercise only to fall in the final and finish sixth. Four years ago, at the 2012 London Games, he didn’t even make the final after falling in qualifying.

Hypolito, said that “winning a medal today was the most important thing in my life.”

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