☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Olympics corner: Independence Day bronze

August 05, 2021
Carlos Santamaria
Olympics corner: Independence Day bronzeOlympics corner: Independence Day bronze
Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso celebrates with his national flag after winning bronze at Tokyo 2020.
REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Whenever Burkina Faso is in the news, it's often about how the country - no stranger to crisis - has got caught up in the crosshairs of horrific jihadist violence plaguing the Sahel.

But this week, the nation of 20 million was celebrating because Hugues Fabrice Zango won its first-ever Olympic medal after finishing third in the men's triple jump in Tokyo.

What's more, Zango did it on the 61st anniversary of Burkina Faso's independence from France.

"It's not the medal I wanted, but it's good for Burkina Faso and it's historic. Burkina Faso is really happy. Everybody is happy," Zango said after the event. The president later congratulated him on Twitter: "Bravo champion."

Zango, who's currently pursuing a doctorate in electrical engineering, says he'll try to win gold in Paris 2024.

More from GZERO Media

Will Trump find a fall guy for Signal chat revelations?

From left, FBI Director Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, testify during the House Select Intelligence Committee hearing titled “Worldwide Threats Assessment,” in Longworth building on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The witnesses fielded questions on the Signal chat, about attacks against Houthis in Yemen, that accidentally included a reporter.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA

The Signal-gate repercussions continue, after The Atlantic published screenshots of senior White House officials discussing war plans over the messaging app.

Brazil’s top court greenlights Bolsonaro trial

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro walks after the Supreme Court voted that he should stand trial for allegedly attempting a coup after his 2022 electoral defeat, in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Adriano Machado

The Supreme Court ordered the former president to stand trial for his alleged efforts to overturn the last election, raising the prospect of the 70-year-old ending up behind bars and imperiling his hopes of running for office in 2026.

Khartoum falls to the Sudanese Army, but war rages on

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan gestures to soldiers inside the presidential palace after the Sudanese army said it had taken control of the building in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 2025.
Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council/Handout via REUTERS

The Sudanese Army says it has captured full control of Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group it has been battling in a brutal civil war for over two years. The army has seized key locations, including the presidential palace and the airport.

Congress grills NPR and PBS over alleged bias

NPR's Katherine Maher and PBS's Paula Kerger are sworn in at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025.
Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

House Republicans openly questioned whether public news outlets should receive $535 million in federal funds.

Leaked Signal chat shows Trump team's mindset

- YouTube

youtu.be

The Signal chat leak about bombing the Houthis is serious, but what it reveals is even more troubling, according to Ian Bremmer. Trump’s advisers are debating major decisions behind closed doors… but the president might never hear them. In this Quick Take, Ian explains why that’s a global risk.

Vances pare back Greenland trip, but protests still expected

Protesters take part in a demonstration march ending in front of the US consulate, under the slogan, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people,” in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 15, 2025.
Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

US Second Lady Usha Vance canceled plans to attend Greenland’s biggest dog-sledding race and visit historical sites after officials in Nuuk and Copenhagen balked at an uninvited trip from an official delegation. Vice President JD Vance will now join his wife on the trip.

Palestinians shake fists at Hamas

Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 26, 2025.
REUTERS/Stringer

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters took part in the largest anti-Hamas demonstrations in Gaza since the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2020 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.