Mohamed Benchrif
On Thursday, a bronze medal, truly worth its weight in gold, was secured by Hugues Fabrice Zango in the triple-jump. This is the very first Olympic medal ever won by Burkina Faso since its first involvement in the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Despite taking part in nine Olympic Games, Burkina Faso was yet to win a single medal, a situation which the triple-jumper aimed to change this year in Tokyo.
“I wanted to win an Olympic medal in the triple-jump for Burkina Faso because we’ve never won one before.”
With the performances he has produced this year and all his daily hard work to be one of the best, Zango carried the greatest hope for an Olympic medal for Burkina Faso in Tokyo.
Nevertheless, while it might not have been the medal he’d been dreaming of, Hugues Fabrice Zango finished third, as he did at the Doha 2019 World Championships. But this bronze is on par with gold for the country of “honest men”.
On Thursday 5th August in Tokyo, Hugues Fabrice Zango therefore became a Burkina Faso sporting legend, it was a historic day. What’s more the joy was two-fold as this first ever medal victory for Burkina Faso coincided with the country’s Independence Day celebrations.
“I’m mainly happy for Burkina Faso as today we celebrate our country’s independence and I’ve won its first medal. It’s historic for me and for my country, Burkina Faso is overjoyed, I think they’ll throw me a big party”, he smiled.
In the absence of the discipline headliner, double Olympic champion and quadruple world champion American Christian Taylor, who is currently injured, Portuguese athlete Pedro Pichardo (who has Cuban heritage) managed to win his first major title. Pichardo impressed with an effort of 17.98m on his third jump, clinching the gold ahead of Chinese athlete Zhu Yaming (17.57 m) and Hugues Fabrice Zango (17.47) from Burkina Faso. Pichardo registered the 4th best jump of all time (18.08m) and has previously won silver at both the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and Beijing in 2015.
Hugues Fabrice Tango, is none other than the protégé of Teddy Tamgho, triple-jump world champion in 2013 and former holder of the indoor world record. With Tamgho, the Burkina Faso triple-jumper, managed to unlock some of his best performances including the indoor world record, thereby replacing that of his own coach. Zango, the flag bearer for his delegation during the Tokyo games opening ceremony, is the first man to jump clear of 18 metres in an indoor competition.
It should also be pointed out that the young Algerian Yasser Triki, finished 5th with a jump of 17.43m, thereby also setting a new national record.
Odile Ahouanwanou 15th in the heptathlon
The only African representative, Beninese athlete Odile Ahouanwanou, completed all seven events (100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, javelin, 200m, 800m) finishing in 15th place with a score of 6186 points. Belgian Nafissatou Thiam won her second Olympic heptathlon gold in a row on Thursday in Tokyo. Thiam, who scored a victorious total of 6791 points, outdid Netherlands athletes Anouk Vetter (6689 points) and Emma Oosterwegel (6590).
Two Kenyans in the 1500m final
Kenyan athlete Timothy Cheruiyot, the reigning world champion, and compatriot Abel Kipsang have qualified for the 1500m final which will take place next Saturday. Abel Kipsang took second place in his semi-final with a time of 3min 31s and 65/100, simultaneously setting a new Olympic record; the previous record had been held by his compatriot Noah Ngeny since the 2000 Sydney Olympics (3:32:07), while Timothy Cheruiyot finished third in the first heat with a time of 3:33:95.
Ghana into the men’s 4x100m final
The Ghanaian quartet of Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku, Emmanuel Yeboah and Joseph Paul Amoah, will contest the men’s 4x100m final, scheduled for 6th August, having taken 5th place in the 2nd heat (38:08).
South African Kyle Blignaut took 6th place (21m 00cm) in the shot put. Meanwhile, Botswanan Isaac Makwala finished 7th in the final of the 400m in a time of 44:94, a race won by Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas with a time of 43:85.
African Medals
After seven days of competitions, Africa has collected a total of 15 medals (4 of them gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze).
Country Gold Silver Bronze
Kenya 1 2 2.
Ethiopia 1 1 1.
Uganda 1 1 1.
Morocco 1 0 0.
Namibia 0 1 0.
Nigeria 0 0 1.
Burkina Faso 0 0 1.
