Luvo Manyonga the name is on everyone's lips
Barring potential gold medals from men's 400 metre world champion Wayde van Niekerk and women's 800 metre favourite Caster Semenya this week, Manyonga is set to be the most spoken-about South African athlete of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In a story of triumph over tribulation and a life story which makes for intriguing reading, just one centimetre stood between Team South Africa and its first gold medal in Rio this morning.
His sixth and final leap of 8.37 metres (a new personal best) metres seemed like a gold medal effort, but he was eclipsed by the American Jeff Henderson, with a final jump of 8.38 metres into the sandpit.
His compatriot Rashwahl Samaai unfortunately only managed ninth-best in the final.
By the end of 2011, Manyonga was already being touted as the next superstar of South African athletics with a sequence of impressive performances.
But, in 2012, the year of the London Olympics, Luvo's world came crashing down as his life spiralled out of control.
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A dramatic announcement was made at the SA Championships that Luvo had tested positive for traces of 'TIK' (methamphetamine), and he was slapped with a two-year ban.
For him it became a priority to escape the drug-ravaged Western Cape and try and start a new life away from the temptations of drug abuse.
There are many lessons to be learned from 25-year-old Luvo's life journey. He says he has made a promise to himself to make the most of his second chance.
And how he did - and has an Olympic silver medal to show for it.
Not only is he set to leap even further in his athletics career, but looks destined to be etched in South African Olympic folklore for many years to come.