Rio de Janeiro - Luvo Manyonga was a precious centimetre from gold, but his leap of 8.37m saw him secure South Africa's fourth silver medal of the Olympics in Rio on Saturday night.
In a terrific final, Manyonga was nipped out by American Jeff Henderson, whose sixth and final leap was a timely 8.38m.
Manyonga had held the lead for two rounds, and he managed to edge defending champion and favourite Greg Rutherford into the bronze medal place.
It was a remarkable leap for 25-year-old Manyonga, who stared in disbelief when he first sat atop the leaderboard.
The final jump of the competition was very controversial, as American Jarrion Lawson looked like he had leapt into the medals, only to miss out due to a trailing left hand.
That ensured that Manyonga secured a second major medal, having won the junior world championships in 2010.
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Independnet Media