After nearly 50 years of Sudanese participation in the Olympics, Ismail Ahmed Ismail won the country's first medal, sparking delirious praise in the nation's newspapers on Sunday.
Up until then, the press had been more dominated by coverage of the ongoing conflict in Darfur, where up to 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced since a rebellion began in the arid western region in 2003.
The country's longtime President Omar al-Bashir is facing charges of genocide from the International Criminal Court for the situation.
Ismail was hailed as a national hero and his picture — wrapped in a Sudanese flag — was emblazoned across the front pages of the country's normally staid press.
"An unprecedented achievement," trumpeted the headline of the daily al-Sahafa. For once, Sudan's antagonistic papers, backing the rival northern and southern halves of the country, were in complete agreement.
Ismail crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 44.70 seconds in Saturday's race, just 0.05 seconds after winner Wilfred Bungei of Kenya. He beat reigning world champion Alfred Yego of Kenya, who had to settle for bronze.
"This man deserves to be honored. He has made us happy," said Salah al-Mubarak, a sports columnist with the southern-aligned Ajras al-Hurriyeh newspaper.
"It shows you this region has another face and has things to celebrate," Mahmoud Medani, a former football player and a businessmen from Darfur, told The Associated Press. "It is a source of pride for us, not for us alone but for all Sudanese people."
Since the charges against al-Bashir were filed on July 14, the local media has been increasingly discussing the once-taboo issue of Darfur, debating what would happen if al-Bashir is arrested and how to bring peace to the troubled region.
Ismail's family is from western Darfur, but like many others, they migrated from the impoverished region to Khartoum before he was born.
"I can't find words to express my joy. This is an achievement for my country first and then for me," Ismail was quoted as saying by the Sudan Media Center, which has close links to the government. "I was able to achieve this honor because of a lot of hard training."
Ismail's family couldn't be immediately reached for comment. But the 23-year-old runner has not had it easy.
Hanadi Ismail, a reporter and family friend, said he and his five brothers and sisters grew up in the poor Khartoum neighborhood of Hajj Youssef.
Ismail's wife gave birth to their son just 42 days ago, but has yet to name him because they cannot afford the naming ceremony.
Sudan sent just nine athletes to Beijing, all but one of them in track and field events.