Hugues Fabrice Zango made history on Thursday when he became the first athlete from Burkina Faso to win an Olympic medal.
The 28-year-old World Indoor Record Holder realized his nation dream in the triple jump at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, jumping 17.47 metres to claim bronze medal.
Pedro Pichardo of Portugal won gold with a jump of 17.98 metres to claim his first Olympic title and a national record, while China’s Zhu Yaming claimed silver with a personal best jump of 17.57m.
Africa’s other medal hopeful Yasser Mohamed Triki from Algeria finished in fifth position,setting a new national record of 17.43 metres.
Speaking after the event, Zango sounded a disappointed man saying that he expected to take gold to Ouagadougou, the Burkina Faso capital.
“My season was quite good and was giving me hope for a better result. I gave everything I had, but the expected result didn’t come,” he told Radio France International.
Zango’s road to the final was not smooth as he failed to achieve the set qualification distance of 17m, however, with a best of 16.83m, he sneaked as 12th overall.
It’s worth noting that in January, Zango made history by becoming the first man on earth to triple jump over 18 metres indoors with a 18.07m effort in Aubiere, France.
His personal coach Tamgho is one of only six men, including Edwards, Taylor and Claye, to jump over 18 metres outdoors.
