As the World Athletics Championships begin in Tokyo this weekend 13th September to 21st, Moor Sportz takes us through a historical voyage of the career of a pioneering African gold medalist in an unusual track event in the same city exactly 34 years ago.
A new generation of top athletes in the track and field from the continent of Africa emerged in the 1990s, heralding a completely new era. Before this period, safe for Ugandan’s John Aki-Bua’s exploits at 1972 Munich Olympics in the 400 metres hurdles, all of the titles won by African athletes in the 2 elite competitions of World Championships and Olympics had been claimed in middle and long-distance events. However, Zambia’s Samuel Matete continued where Akii-Bua stopped when he stormed to gold in the men’s 400 metres hurdles again in 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the first in the history of Africa’s athletics.
Samuel Matete already set the stage for this astonishing feat after racing to an African record of 47.10s at the Weltklasse Zurich meeting a couple of weeks earlier. This 47.10sec was his career best, missing the legendary USA’s Edwin Moses’ world record by only 0.8sec. That record still stands almost 34 years on and the performance places him ninth on the world all-time list.
This 1991 World champion’s race was a marvel. As the dominant force in the 400 metres hurdles in 1991, Samuel Matete finished the season unbeaten. However, he was unable to maintain this level of dominance in 1992, and was hampered by a sore right hamstring during the early part of the season. Samuel Matete had also been overshadowed by USA’s Kevin Young, although he had maintained an unbeaten record over World Championships silver medallist Winthrop Graham of Jamaica in the five times they met prior to the Olympic Games in Barcelona. Matete finished third in his semi-final in this 1992 Summer Olympics but was disqualified as he had knocked over the last hurdle in the lane outside his own.
He later won silver medals in the next two editions of the World Championships and another at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games when he found Derrick Adkins of USA too strong for him at the final of the summer’s Olympic.
The battle for supremacy between the trio of Samuel Matete, Kevin Young (USA) and Winthrop Graham (Jamaica) in the 400m hurdles erupted in 1991 and got to the head during 1992 and 1993. This opposition largely disappeared in 1994, as Young was injured and Graham was below his form of previous years. However, in their place, Derrick Adkins (USA) emerged to contest the number one position with Matete. The two dominated the event during 1994, recording between them the fastest 15 times of the season. In their head-to-head battles, Matete scored a narrow 6 to 5 victory after winning their last three encounters. Overall, Samuel Matete won 19 competitions during the season, including a victory at the TSB Games in London on 15 July.
As part of his many firsts, Matete also won Zambia’s first ever Commonwealth gold medal in 1994 at the XV Commonwealth Games In Victoria, Canada. He initially threatened to boycott the Games due to a financial dispute with his national association, but in the end he competed.
Matete was born on 27 July 1968 in Chingola, a town in Zambia, located in the Copperbelt Province. He began his early athletic career out of high school and credited this to the link between the national (athletic) federations and schools. Matete competed in his first Olympics at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea at the mere age of 20. He was one of a number of athletes who tried to establish themselves as the world’s premier 400 metres hurdler in the 1990s. He competed in many important athletic events around the world, showing his skill and dedication by winning several medals. Noted for his exceptionally fast finish.
At age 32, Samuel Matete retired from track and field with one gold and three silver medals to his name, an incredibly impressive accomplishment.
Samuel Matete, now 57, continues to dedicate his life to Zambian athletics as he hopes to discover Zambian athletes right out of high school like how he came to be. Matete feels he can be a leader for the Zambian athletes, and once again bring his country to victory.
References
- “The 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.” Editorial columns of World athletics dot com. 26 MAY 2025
- “Samuel MATETE – Zambia – World 400m Hurdles Champion in 1991”. Sporting heroes magazine, 27 August 1991
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Story edited by Bimbo Ajayi
