Outpouring of sympathy for Lutalo Muhammad's last-second heartbreak

With the clock showing just one second left, all Muhammad had to do was stay out of danger, but his opponent, Ivory Coast's Cheikh Sallah Cisse's extraordinary head kick won him the gold medal.

Muhammad, unsurprisingly, found it almost impossible to give his reaction to the disappointment in an interview right after his defeat.

"I came within inches of achieving what has been a life goal for me," he said. "I was very sad."

However, his dignity and commitment, coupled with his palpable pain, earned him plenty of support:

Happily, Muhammad eventually found the time to realise that silver was no mean achievement, and set his sights on the next games.