Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga produced a heroic performance to win a bronze medal in the men’s 400m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday night.
In a pulsating race that has been hailed as one of the greatest in Olympic history, 21 year old Samukonga crossed the line in a remarkable time of 43.74 seconds – a new national record for Zambia.
It’s Zambia’s third medal in the Olympics and the first one in 28 years since 400m hurdler Samuel Matete, a world gold medallist in 1991, won silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Keith Mwila, light-flyweight gold medallist at the 1983 Africa Elite Boxing Championships in Kampala, won Zambia’s first ever Olympics medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when he punched his way to the semi-finals and bowed out with a precious bronze medal for the Southern African country which competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics as Rhodesia and Tokyo 1964 Olympics as Northern Rhodesia.
At the 1968 Mexico Games is when Zambia competed in the Olympics under the current name for the first time.
Congratulations Samukonga. We hope he will be rewarded with a house for ending Zambia’s 28-year medal drought in the Olympic Games.
This was easily the best men’s 400m race ever. 5 under 44 seconds, 2 National Records and a European Record.
Credit : NENEZ MEDIA SERVICES
