American Grant Holloway may have been the favorite on paper, but Jamaican Hansle Parchment stole the show Thursday in Tokyo, repeating his nation's gold in the men's 110m hurdles.
The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist edged the reigning world champion out at the line in 13.04 for his second Games medal.
Holloway, 23, who entered the final as the world leader and top qualifier in both initial rounds, lost speed after the 10th hurdle and was overtaken in 13.09.
Parchment's compatriot Ronald Levy took bronze in 13.10, while American Devon Allen, fifth in Rio, was fourth in 13.14.
Jamaican Omar McLeod, the defending Olympic champion, missed the team after dealing with cramps at Jamaica's Olympic trials, hitting the first hurdle and finishing last.
Holloway, of Chesapeake, Virginia, clocked 12.81 during the semifinals at June's U.S. Olympic Trials to finish one-hundredth of a second off American Aries Merritt's 2012 world record.
Rio marked the first non-boycotted Olympics the U.S. failed to win at least one medal in the event. Holloway's silver puts the nation back on the podium.