'Big Cesar' races to first Brazilian swimming gold

Cesar Cielo Filho took a leap from sprinting obscurity on Saturday to claim Brazil's first Olympic swimming gold medal in the 50m freestyle.

Filho rocketed to an unexpected victory in the splash and dash in 21.30 sec, blowing away the field to win by 0.15, a sizable chunk in the sport's shortest race.

"I'm so so happy, I'm lost for words," said an excited Filho, who had never won a medal at the world level before and clambered on to the lane rope and roared when he realized he had won.