SportsOlympics

Actions

Burkina Faso's first medal brings Tokyo Games into record territory

Posted at 2:07 AM, Aug 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-05 04:47:02-04

In the nation's tenth Olympic appearance, Burkina Faso has finally earned its first Olympic medal, courtesy of triple jump athlete Hugues Fabrice Zango.

Zango's jump of 17.47m earned him a bronze medal at the the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, the first Olympic prize ever awarded to the West African nation of Burkina Faso.

Burkinabe athletes had competed in the 1972 Munich Games, then after a hiatus have been participating at each Summer Olympics since 1988.

Burkina Faso joins Turkmenistan and San Marino as nations to win their first ever Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

SEE MORE: Turkmenistan takes home first ever Olympic medal

This year's games has already set the all time record for the number of countries that have taken home a gold medal.

If two more nations earn podium finishes, 2020 can also be the Games to feature the most medal-earning countries at a single Olympics in history.

SEE MORE: San Marino wins first Olympic medal in nation's history