Cape Town - Olympics record-breaking champion Wayde van Niekerk obtained more than a gold medal in Rio.
The athlete has gained several friends and family members that have come from nowhere.
Since his extraordinary win, tweeps have tried to lay claim to Van Niekerk on social media using the hashtag #HowAreYouRelatedToWaydeVanNiekerk.
@MarlyMokes22 tweeted: “His mom dropped apples in PnP, I picked them up. She replied: God bless * my son. Now I’m Wayde’s brother.”
@Reesiebabygirl tweeted: “We go to the same church. He calls my mommy Aunty’.”
@BonZigBeats tweeted: “My neighbour's pen pal from Australia went to the same school as his cousin. Basically besties.”
@WadenWallace wrote: “Hy’s my niefie se stief broer se niefie van my stief pa se kante af.”
Other memes have also been trending on Facebook.
I was once in the same taxi as Wayde's neighbours brother. #HowAreYouRelatedToWaydeVanNiekerk
— Enzo, The Supreme (@Enzolingo) August 15, 2016
In one, Van Niekerk is running and across the picture words read: “What does Wayde do when he misses the bus? He waits for it at the next stop.”
All the affectionate quirky notes have inspired Clint White from Heideveld to capture messages from ordinary citizens in a book.
My dad baptised his cousin, so we are actually half - brothers. #HowAreYouRelatedToWaydeVanNiekerk
— Christopher Fry (@cmfry) August 15, 2016
White plans to hand over the book to Wayde when he arrives back in the country.
He also started a Facebook page called Wayde's Welcome.
Cape Times