Muzala Samukonga

Muzala Samukonga

Muzala Samukonga in 2024
Personal information
Nationality	Zambian
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	200 m: 20.48 (Lusaka, 2022) 400 m: 43.74[1] NR (Paris, 2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Zambia Olympic Games 2024 Paris 400 m Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham 400 m African Games 2023 Accra 4×400 m relay 2023 Accra 400 m African Championships 2022 Saint Pierre 400 m 2022 Saint Pierre 4×400 m relay 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.

Career

Muzala 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

Event	Time (m:)s	Wind (m/s)	Place	Date	Notes
200 metres	20.48	+0.3	Lusaka, Zambia	22 May 2022
400 metres	43.74	—	Paris, France	7 August 2024	NR
4 × 400 m relay	3:04.76	—	Birmingham, United Kingdom	7 August 2022	NR

International championships results

Representing  Zambia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time
2021	World U20 Championships	Nairobi, Kenya	5th	400 m	45.89 PB
2022	African Championships	Saint Pierre, Mauritius	1st	400 m	45.31
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:05.53
	World Championships	Eugene, OR, United States	9th (sf)	400 m	45.02 PB
	Commonwealth Games	Birmingham, United Kingdom	1st	400 m	44.66 NR
			5th	4 × 400 m relay	3:04.76 NR
2024	African Games	Accra, Ghana	2nd	400 m	45.37
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:59.12
	African Championships	Douala, Cameroon	3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:02.56
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	3rd	400 m	43.74
			8th	4 × 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". 2024-08-06. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
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. 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.

External links

• Muzala Samukonga at World Athletics

Olympic Games
Preceded by Everisto Mulenga Tilka Paljk	Flag bearer for  Zambia Paris 2024 with Margaret Tembo	Succeeded by Incumbent