‘Giant of Africa’ Nigeria falls again as Samukonga becomes seventh African man to win Olympics 400m medal!

While ‘giant of Africa’, Nigeria is still waiting for her first Olympic medal in men’s 400m since Abdul Karim Amu made history as the first Nigerian man to run in the event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, five other African countries have mounted the podium to receive medals.

The latest is Zambian, Muzala Samukonga on Wednesday at the Stade de France who ran an impressive 43.74 national record to win the bronze behind USA’s Quincy Hall (43.40) and Britain’s Mathew Hudson-Smith (43.44).

Samuel Ogazi, the Nigerian in the race ran 44.73 to finish seventh, Nigeria’s third best position since Innocent Egbunike finished fifth in 1988 and Sunday Uti sixth in 1984.

The 18 year old is the first Nigerian to run in the final of the event since Egbunike made his second appearance at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

South Africa has been the most successful African nation in the event at the Olympics, winning two gold medals via Bevil Rudd in 1920 and Wayde van Niekerk in 2016 and bronze in 1960 by Malcolm Spence.

Cote d’Ivoire’s Gabriel Tiacoh won Africa’s first and, so far, only silver in 1984 in Los Angeles where the Nigeria duo of Sunday Uti and Egbunike finished sixth and seventh respectively.

Samukonga has now increased the number of bronze medals won by Africa at the Games to four with the Kenyan duo of Julius Sang (1972) and Samson Kitur (1992) and Ugandan, Davis Kamoga winning it in 1996.

Nigeria will be hoping Ogazi, who has shown so much promise, will build on his impressive performances here to win Nigeria’s first medal in the event when the Olympics return to Los Angeles in 2028, 44 years after it was first hosted in the city.

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