He's rated among Australia's brightest Olympic gold-medal hopes and luckless long jumper Fabrice Lapierre has no plans to disappoint this time around in Rio.
After injury cruelled his 2008 Beijing Olympic campaign and ruled him out altogether from the London Games in 2012, Lapierre is promising to deliver this year after regaining his form, fitness and focus under US master coach Dan Pfaff.
Most importantly, Lapierre has fallen back in love with the sport after candidly admitting he lost his way following the despair of missing out on London.
"I'm a lot more confident and just hungry. A couple of years ago I didn't really care about the sport," Lapierre told AAP ahead of the Australian Olympic trials and national championships in Sydney this weekend.
"I trained but I didn't really have much focus. Right now I'm just really, really focused and I really want it.
"I really want that gold medal and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get it."
The 32-year-old confirmed he was on track to continue Australia's rich tradition in Olympic long jumping following a second placing at the recent world indoor championships in the USA.
"I feel awesome. I feel the best I've ever felt," Lapierre said.
Lapierre credits Pfaff and a fresh emphasis on diet and keeping his body in shape for his rejuvenation, which has Australian head coach Craig Hilliard ranking the 2015 world championships silver medallist behind only walker Jared Tallent as Australia's best track and field hope for Rio.
"Fab's a guy who's had enormous talent from a really young age," Hilliard said on Thursday.
"Laden with talent but he's found ways - or had little problems - in the final two or three weeks, which have usually underdone his preparation unfortunately.
"But he's in a really good environment at the moment. His life's good, he's in a happy training environment and he's ticking all the boxes, where in the past he probably hasn't.
"So just that stability and routine that he's in now is really helping him.
"I've never seen him with such a fierce determination."
The men's long jump field in Sydney this weekend also includes Henry Frayne, Darcy Roper and Robbie Crowther, but not London Olympics silver medallist Mitchell Watt, who has been grounded with a groin strain.
The men's 800m shapes as one of the most interesting events of the trials.
Luke Mathews and Josh Ralph have already bettered the qualifying mark of 1:46.00, Alex Rowe is the national record holder and James Gurr is also a contender.
The most notable absentee will be Jeff Riseley, who is still sidelined by injury.
At the conclusion of the trials, the Australian Olympic Committee will name the first major tranche of the Rio Games athletics team on Sunday night.
But it won't include the likes of reigning Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, javelin star Kim Mickle and Watt, who have until the July 12 cut-off to regain fitness and guarantee their spots in the squad for Rio.
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