sports
‘The only thing left for me was death’: meet the meth-addict long jumper who has been to hell and back
Three years ago Luvo Manyonga knew he must change his life or die. In Poland this week, the former world champion makes an extraordinary return to athletics’ top table
TL;DR
- Luvo Manyonga, a former world champion and Olympic silver medalist in long jump, struggled with severe drug addiction throughout his career.
- His addiction led to criminal behavior, including robbery and housebreaking, and resulted in an 18-month ban in 2012 and a four-year ban in late 2020 for whereabouts violations.
- A brutal beating in 2023 served as a critical wake-up call, compelling Manyonga to address his addiction and change his life.
- After getting clean and leaving his old environment, Manyonga began training again and has since improved his performance, reaching distances over eight meters.
- He has qualified for the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, marking an extraordinary return to the global stage after years of struggle.