Tuesday Afterschool Special: Vaulting Ahead

Olympic roundup

Host-country hero Thiago da Silva provided the best moment of the Games yesterday, when he set a new Olympic record and won gold in the pole vault by clearing a 6.03-meter bar. (That's nearly 20 feet high!) Renaud Lavillenie of France had reason to believe he had both the record and the top prize locked up when he cleared 5.98. But da Silva had other plans:

In other track and field news, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas beat the U.S.'s Allyson Felix by diving for the finish line. There's some debate whether she fell forward on purpose, or merely lost control while leaning. Either way, the move provided for a dramatic photo-finish win, as she beat Felix by .07 seconds: 

Michael Phelps is back on the cover of SI

Michael Phelps strove for eight golds in Greece, he settled for six golds and two bronze.

Getting along swimmingly, Michael Phelps' successes continue to ring true with each broken record dating back to Athens.

In between Olympiads, Maryland native Michael Phelps was a big fish in the NCAA pools of Ann Arbor, Mich..

Seeking circular closure to his goal for eight golds, Michael Phelps emerged as the face of the Beijing Olympics prior to the opening ceremonies.

Michael Phelps got his feet and swimsuit wet before winning his first three events, including the men's 4 x100 freestyle relay.

With eight gold medals hanging from his neck, Michael Phelps posed for SI's exclusive cover portrait after completing his Beijing swim through history.

Michael Phelps graced the cover for the seventh time after he was named the 2008 Sports Illustrated Sportsman Of The Year.

After a voting campaign that reached millions of sports fans across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the fans had spoken. Michael Phelps capping off his storied career at the London 2012 Summer Olympics was Sports Illustrated’s 2012 Moment of The Year.

A year earlier the best swimmer in Olympic history was lost. Now, after coming to terms with himself, the best might lie ahead for Michael Phelps.

For six weeks, from Olympics opening to Paralympics closing, a disparate band of men and women represent ONE COUNRTY with one common goal: GOLD.

Michael Phelps shares the cover (again) with Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles. This time, they pose with their Rio Olympic medals—Michael Phelps (six), Katie Ledecky (five) and Simone Biles (three, though she has since added another).

The best sports year ever goes out on top. Just like the greatest Olympian of all time.

From fan to teammate

Adrian Beltre wields a broom vs. the watercoolers

USA basketball tries a new sport

Today's Peanuts

Photo credit: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images