Claudio Villanueva Flores broke down in tears when he was the last competitor to cross the line in the men's 50km race walk.
The Ecuadorian finished in four hours, 53 minutes and nine seconds – just over an hour after Poland's Dawid Tomala won gold – sparking hugely emotional scenes.
Officials congratulated Flores and offered him bags of ice to cool down on a sweltering day. His courageous effort will go down as one of the most heartwarming moments of the Games.
"It brings tears to my eyes watching that," one commentator said. "How he can even stay standing on his feet, I do not know.
