Muzala Samukonga

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.

Muzala Samukonga

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: 20.23 (Miramar, 2025) 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

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

Event	Time (m:)s	Wind (m/s)	Place	Date	Notes
200 metres	20.23	+1.7	Miramar, United States	2 May 2025
400 metres	43.74	—	Paris, France	7 August 2024	NR
4 × 400 m relay	3:04.76	—	Birmingham, United Kingdom	7 August 2022	NR

Circuit performances

Grand Slam Track results[11]
Slam	Race group	Event	Pl.	Time	Prize money
2025 Kingston Slam	Long sprints	400 m	5th	45.27	US$12,500
		200 m	7th	21.24
2025 Miami Slam	Long sprints	200 m	3rd	20.23	US$25,000
		400 m	4th	44.56
2025 Philadelphia Slam	Long sprints	400 m	4th	45.10	US$20,000
		200 m	4th	20.56

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.