Hugues Fabrice Zango: Inspiring Africa to dream one hop, step, jump at a time

After becoming both a doctor and a world champion in 2023, the obvious question for triple jump sensation Hugues Fabrice Zango is: What does he do for an encore?

The Olympic Solidarity scholarship-holder from Burkina Faso earned his PhD in electrical engineering from France’s Université de Reims, and topped the podium at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in what he will always fondly look back on as a golden year.

Zango’s sights are now firmly set on Paris 2024 and upgrading the bronze medal he won at Tokyo 2020, his country’s only Olympic medal to date. But Zango’s aspirations, like the man himself, are multifaceted and extend far beyond the French capital.

“I know that people in Africa follow my actions, and I’m fighting to represent the living dream of young Africans who have a similar background to mine,” Zango says. “I’ve already achieved one of my biggest goals: convincing the people of Burkina Faso that even people from our country have the right to dream of medals at the world’s toughest competitions.

“My aim is to stay at the top level long enough for this to stay etched in their minds forever.”

He is certainly well on his way. Prior to clinching gold at the World Athletics Championships (also a first for a Burkinabé), Zango had already compiled an impressive list of sporting accomplishments, including a world championship bronze in 2019 and silver in 2021. He is also the current world indoor record-holder, a title he claimed in 2021 with a jump of 18.07 meters.

Zango credits the scholarship funding he has received as being the catalyst for his successes, both on and off the field of play.

“For countries like Burkina Faso, where public support for sport is still very limited, Olympic Solidarity scholarships allow us to dream big and for such dreams to come true,” he says. “Among other things, it has enabled me to travel to top-level training centres in Reims and Paris. Thanks to the fact that I was able to train there, my level has soared and I’m now one of the best in the world.”

“Without this scholarship, it’s obviously hard to take the risks … necessary to achieve our goals.”

The funding also gave Zango the courage to reach out to one of his idols, renowned triple-jumper-turned-coach Teddy Tamgho, who has been instrumental in his protégé’s rise in the sport the last few years.

Tamgho, who held the indoor triple jump record (17.92m) from 2011 before Zango broke it in 2021, saw immediate potential in his young understudy, inviting him to train in Paris while studying for his doctorate in Northern France. A gruelling schedule to be sure, but an opportunity that Zango was only too happy to accept.

“Getting this money gave me more confidence to take more risks. It really gave me the intention to start everything. To go to ask [Teddy]. Because I had a budget.”

Tamgho’s tutelage has clearly paid dividends. Zango will head to Paris 2024 as the favourite in his discipline, ahead of fierce rivals Lázaro Martínez of Cuba and Andy Díaz Hernández of Italy.

As Zango’s list of new prefixes (Dr, world champion, Olympic medallist) continues to grow, could another – that of Olympic champion – be next?

Earning gold at Paris 2024 would unquestionably be the crowning achievement in his sporting career, but in typical Zango fashion, it’s the effect such a victory could have that is clearly fuelling his Olympic ambitions.

“I want to show the world that anyone, especially Africans, can achieve their full potential when provided with the necessary infrastructure and support,” he says. “And I want my continued success to be used to encourage public policy-makers across Africa to invest in the necessary infrastructure to produce champions locally.”

Spoken, as always, like a true champion.