Ethiopian exiled Olympic athlete Feyisa Lilesa has told the BBC he is ready to go home after an official appeal for him to return.

He rose to fame at the Rio Olympics in 2016 when he crossed the finish line to take silver in the marathon and crossed his arms in a symbolic gesture used by the Oromo people, who were facing a brutal security crackdown at the time.

Afterwards he decided to go into exile to the US and ever since has been in Arizona, where his family joined him. He refused to return home, saying his life would be in danger.

But in the last year the government has changed and is headed by reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is himself from the Oromia region.

These changes have made Feyisa, who hasn’t run represented his country for two years, rethink his stance. He told the BBC:

I was waiting for a change to happen in the country. And there are changes after the new prime minister came to power.

There is a chance I will be running again for my country."

He doesn’t know exactly when he is going back, but he should have a firm date within the next few weeks, the athlete added.

On Tuesday, the Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC) and the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) issued a joint statement promising Feyisa a “hero’s welcome”.