Muzala Samukonga

Last updated

Muzala Samukonga
Muzala Samukonga 2024 (cropped).jpg
Samukonga in 2024
Personal information
NationalityZambian
Born (2002-12-09) 9 December 2002 (age 22)
Lusaka, Zambia
Sport
Country Zambia
Sport Track and field
Event Sprints
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Paris 400 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Birmingham 400 m
African Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Accra 4×400 m relay
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2023 Accra 400 m
African Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Saint Pierre 400 m
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 Saint Pierre 4×400 m relay
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Douala 4×400 m relay

Muzala Samukonga (born 9 December 2002) [2] is a Zambian track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. In 2022, at the age of 19, he won gold medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and African Championships. [3] A flagbearer for Zambia at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Samukonga won the bronze medal in the 400 metres event.

Contents

Career

Samukonga competed in the 400 metres at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Kenya, where he finished in fifth place after with a time of 45.89 s. [4]

In March 2022, he recorded a new personal best in the event of 45.65 s in Botswana. [5] On 10 June, Samukonga won the gold medal in the 400 m at the 2022 African Championships in Mauritius, upsetting Bayapo Ndori in the final with a time of 45.31 s. [6] [7] His victory ended a ten-year reign of athletes from Botswana in the event, namely Isaac Makwala and Baboloki Thebe. [7] [8] It also qualified him for the 2022 World Athletics Championships the following month in Eugene, Oregon. [9]

In September 2024, it was announced that he had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track. [10]

Achievements

All information taken from World Athletics profile. [2]

Personal bests

EventTime (m:)sWind (m/s)PlaceDateNotes
200 metres 20.23+1.7 Miramar, United States2 May 2025
400 metres 43.74 Paris, France7 August 2024 NR
4 × 400 m relay 3:04.76 Birmingham, United Kingdom7 August 2022 NR

Circuit performances

Grand Slam Track results [11]
SlamRace groupEventPl.TimePrize money
2025 Kingston Slam Long sprints400 m5th45.27US$12,500
200 m7th21.24
2025 Miami Slam Long sprints200 m3rd20.23US$25,000
400 m4th44.56
2025 Philadelphia Slam Long sprints400 m4th45.10US$20,000
200 m4th20.56

International championships results

Representing Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2021 World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya5th400 m 45.89 PB
2022 African Championships Saint Pierre, Mauritius1st400 m 45.31
2nd4 × 400 m relay 3:05.53
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States9th (sf)400 m 45.02 PB
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom1st400 m 44.66 NR
5th4 × 400 m relay 3:04.76 NR
2024 African Games Accra, Ghana 2nd400 m 45.37
1st4 × 400 m relay 2:59.12
African Championships Douala, Cameroon 3rd4 × 400 m relay 3:02.56
Olympic Games Paris, France 3rd400 m 43.74
8th4 × 400 m relay 3:02.76

In addition, as of August 2024, Samukonga holds the track record for Gaborone where he clocked 43.91 seconds in April 2023.

References

  1. "Olympic Track And Field Live Updates, Results: Aug. 6 - FloTrack". 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Muzala SAMUKONGA – Athlete Profile". World Athletics . Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  3. "Matt Hudson-Smith misses out on gold as Muzala Samukonga stuns 400m favourite". The Independent . 7 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. "Race Analysis - 400 Metres Men - Final" (PDF). World Athletics . Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  5. Chatuvela, Elizabeth (24 May 2022). "Samukonga sprints to new personal time". Zambia Daily Mail . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  6. Wachira, Lynne (10 June 2022). "African Athletics Championships: Tobi Amusan and Ferdinand Omanyala strike gold again". BBC Sport . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  7. 1 2 Demba, Varore (10 June 2022). "Championnat d'Afrique athlétisme-400m : A 19 ans, Muzala Samukonga met fin à 10 ans de règne botswanais". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  8. Kaumba, Michael (11 June 2022). "Samukonga Is The New 400 Meters African Champion". ZNBC . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  9. "Samukonga qualifies to World Athletics Championship to be held in Oregon USA next month, July 15-24, 2022". The Zambian Observer. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  10. "400m Olympic Bronze Medalist Muzala Samukonga Signs With Grand Slam Track". Citius Mag. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. "Grand Slam Track Results". Grand Slam Track . Retrieved 5 April 2025.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flag bearer for Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Paris 2024
with
Margaret Tembo
Succeeded by
Incumbent