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Manyonga, 34, will compete at the ASA Grand Prix in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Luvo Manyonga in action for South Africa at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha - his last competition before he was banned. Picture: AFP/Kirill Kudryavtsev
Returning to action after more than five years on the sidelines, former world long jump champion Luvo Manyonga says his main goal at this stage is to remain fit and healthy.
Having been banned for four years in 2020, Manyonga made his comeback last week, jumping 7.31 metres at the opening of a new track at Stellenbosch High School.
Though there have been whispers of him potentially becoming competitive again on the international circuit, the 34-year-old SA record holder says he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on himself by setting lofty goals, as he aims to make a steady return to competition.
“I don’t want to put too many things in front of me because I’m still recovering from a long time not jumping or training,” Manyonga said this week, ahead of his appearance at the ASA Grand Prix meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time, and just doing it for the love of the sport, and time will tell. We’re working on a plan of just being fit and healthy.
“Age is also not on my side… so I won’t be doing a lot of competitions.”
In 2010, Manyonga won the world junior title at the age of 19, but he was suspended for 18 months in 2012 after testing positive for crystal meth (tik).
His battle with recreational drug addiction followed him through his elite career, but despite his troubles off the track, he was phenomenal in his prime.
Manyonga earned the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the following year he set a national record of 8.65m in Potchefstroom, before winning the world senior title in London.
In 2018, he went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games and bagged silver at the World Indoor Championships. He also won the top-flight Diamond League series final for the third year in succession.
His career came to another crashing halt in 2020, however, when he was suspended again, this time for four years after missing three doping tests in a 12-month period.
Displaying his resilience, he said he was delighted to be jumping again for the first time since 2019 (his ban was preceded by the Covid lockdown).
And he was eager to entertain the crowd at the Grand Prix meeting on Wednesday, where he was set to line up against Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jovan van Vuuren.
“It feels so amazing to be back and to be healthy, and to be smiling and jumping again. It’s the greatest feeling,” Manyonga said.
“In those seconds when I’m in the air, I feel so free. I enjoy jumping and I enjoy putting a smile on people’s faces by entertaining them. That’s the best thing for me.”
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