Rio de Janeiro - A thrilled Luvo Manyonga said he was going to make some urgent calls back home, as he let the magnitude of his Olympic silver medal long jump sink in.
"I'm going to call my mom Joyce, and then my son, Lindokuhle. And then the rest!" he said, beaming to South African media.
Manyonga missed out on gold by a centimetre, and admitted that he thought it was in the bag.
"It was here, in my hand! Then the guy (American Jeff Henderson) just went 'schloop', and took it!"
The smile on his face told it's own story, but Manyonga explained that he felt like he had already won just by being in Rio.
"This is just a bonus! My life already changed before I came here," said the former junior world champion.
"I rose from my demons! Now I made it, I can't even describe it! I don't have the words," he added.
Manyonga sealed South Africa's sixth medal in Rio, which equals their tally from London.
Strong hopes Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya are still to compete in their finals, so the haul may yet rise.
@whamzam17