World triple jump champion and doctor in electrical engineering, Hugues Fabrice Zango combines excellence in sport and research but has only one goal: to become the first Burkinabè athlete to win Olympic gold, in Paris .
4 mins
Nothing seems to be able to stop the crazy rise of Hugues Fabrice Zango, whether towards Olympus or university success. The 30-year-old athlete has already made history for his country by bringing him his first Olympic medal, bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021. That year, he also set a new indoor world record in jumping to 18.07 m in Aubière, near Clermont.
Two years later, the native of Ouagadougou won world gold in Budapest, to which he added the world indoor title at the beginning of March in Glasgow. The crown of current king of the discipline is still firmly fixed on his head, which has nothing to envy of his physique.
Because in the academic world, the Burkinabè perfectly embodies the Latin quote “ Mens sana in corpore sano ” (a healthy mind in a healthy body). Registered at the University of Béthune at the same time as the Artois Athlétisme club, Hugues Fabrice Zango never stopped his studies, his second driving force, until obtaining his doctorate in electrical engineering in December 2023.
“ Man, an animal that adapts »
His secret? “ A question of method: learning to learn “, he replies simply. “ He always came to class looking a little faded, absent, but his eyes were well sharp. », explains his thesis director and Master professor Jean-Philippe Lecointe who salutes his “ ultra-rapid assimilation capacity.”
It is precisely to play on both counts that Zango arrived in Pas-de-Calais in 2016, far from all its landmarks. “ Fortunately, man is an animal that adapts to his conditions..”, he breathes.
Food, climate, solitude… The Burkinabè discovers another world. “ It was already extremely cold for me, he says. My first winter was complicated. I couldn’t jump far anymore. It was too cold for me. It was depressing to wake up at 7:00 a.m. while it was still dark. So, I had a very, very complicated six months. »
Once this adaptation phase passed, Zango built himself in his homeland, at the Artois club, where he is extremely popular. If he trains at Insep, the triple jump world champion sometimes returns to compete in interclubs, like this sunny Sunday in May in Bruay-la-Buissière, where his athletic build (1.80 m of muscles ) wanders among the spectators and fans, signing autographs and taking photos with whoever wants with a big smile.
“ He has already come with his medals for open days with the little ones », smiles club president Marion Wiesztort, emphasizing her “ humility ” and his ” empathy “.
“ It’s the club that gave me the chance to come and qualify for the 2016 Olympics (…) who helped me with different papers to obtain my visa », he justifies, eternally indebted. An attitude that says a lot about his character.
“ Do something big »
But the champion is always looking for new goals, such as becoming Olympic champion in Paris (July 26-August 11). “ We will be ready on Olympic day, he asserts with confidence. We are 100% sure of going all the way to this gold medal. »
Zango would thus bring Burkina Faso the first Olympic gold medal in its history, and the African continent its first Olympic title in this discipline.
“ For me it means a lothe explains. Since my first steps in athletics, I have been keen to do something great, so today, I continue with this naivety of always wanting to push my limits. It’s positioning Africa and showing the younger generation that it’s possible to achieve performance whatever the field.»
Zango is also aiming for the triple jump world record, one of the hardest to beat in athletics, established by Briton Jonathan Edwards in 1995 with 18.29 m.
Once his athletic career is over, he will tackle another immense task, continuing his studies: importing his knowledge into his country. Its projects are multiple, ranging from the construction of “ an engine that could be used in mines » of West Africa to the development of electrification.
Giant leaps, Zango leaps.