Images of Figueroa breaking down in tears on the platform were beamed around the world after his emotional, against-the-odds victory in the men's 62k kilograms class in Rio.

That was Figueroa's fourth Olympic appearance, and was not just the first time he won but also Colombia's first weightlifting gold medal for a male.

Their only other Olympic champion in weightlifting was Maria Isabel Urrutia at Sydney 2000, the first gold medal in any sport for Colombia.

After Figueroa's victory he left his shoes on the platform as a sign of his decision to quit, and said: "It is 22 years since I started and now is the time to retire".

But he has kept in shape, is training with his long-time coach Oswaldo Pinilla and is considering a return to competition in 2018.

Pinilla, head coach of Colombia’s national team, said at the Pan American Championships in Miami: "Oscar is in the best shape of his life.

"He is 34 now, he is starting training and next year we will see if there is a chance he can compete again.

"The dream would be to go to the Olympics for a fifth time and to win a medal again."

Figueroa has said nothing other than a four-word caption for his 84,000 followers on social media, below a photo of him back in training: "Tokyo 2020, I hope".

Pinilla was an army officer for 25 years and met Figueroa when he was a soldier in 2004.

He coached him through four Olympic appearances.

He was fifth in the 56kg in 2004, beaten by a hand injury when he failed to make a total at Beijing 2008, a silver medallist at 62kg in London 2012 and then the winner in Rio only six months after surgery on his spine.

"He considers me like a dad, and we are like family," said Pinilla, whose team will finish top of the medals table here in Miami.

Figueroa has become "the face of Colombian sport" since his gold medal, said the Colombian Weightlifting Federation President, William Pena.

"Before the Rio Olympics he was poor - not now," he added.