Where Once He Was Lost, Now He Is Found

Once he gained citizenship, Lomong returned to his native land and was reunited with his parents who had, long ago, assumed he was dead, held a funeral and buried what remnants, like a child's beads, that he had left behind. Last December, Lomong participated in a burial in reverse as his plot was unearthed and blessed. "They revive me back," he said with a grin. "I am alive again."

In his Sudanese village where war and genocide, disappearing families and starvation have seemed an unending fate, Lomong told everyone never to give up, that someone they believed dead "may be out there somewhere." For his parents, he bought a TV and told them: "You can watch me in the '08 Olympics. I didn't know I would make the team."

Then his sheepish, gap-toothed expressing broke into a wide-eyed smile: "But I did."

Not long ago, Lomong told a half-dozen track teammates, "I would like to be the one carrying the flag." As a member of Team Darfur, he knew it would spread information about the misery in Sudan and China's role as economic facilitator of the ruling regime.

"My [track] teammates spread the word."

When Cheek was denied his visa, the idea of Lomong carrying the flag had already been making the rounds among U.S. athletes. We'll no doubt learn the details of his election eventually. For now, nobody is giving details for fear of politicizing the Olympics even more. And Lomong, wisely, only says he wants to inspire other children, including those with challenges to overcome in China, while being a "good ambassador" for the United States.

"It will be great tonight," Lomong said. "I can't wait."

All across Beijing, pollution hung so low that you could hardly see from one venue to another across the street. Yet there will be a bright light in the Bird's Nest soon.

The Chinese may light their Olympic flame wherever they like. Lopez Lomong will be the night's truest beacon.

"I can't wait," he said, "to be the first one out."