| Intro | Zambian 400 m hurdler |
| Is | Athlete |
| From | Zambia |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 27 July 1968, Chingola |
| Age: | 52 years |
| Star sign | Leo |
Samuel Matete (born 27 July 1968 in Chingola) is a retired male track and field athlete from Zambia, who competed mainly in 400 metres hurdles. Noted for his exceptionally fast finish, he was one of the world’s leading hurdlers in the early 1990s, and became the first Zambian track and field world champion in 1991. This was the first time that an African athlete had won that event. He represented Zambia in the 400 m hurdles on four occasions (1988 to 2000) and was the silver medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
His personal best of 47.10 seconds, achieved during the Weltklasse Zürich in 1991, is the current African record and ranks fourth on the all-time list.
Competition record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Zambia | |||||
| 1988 | World Junior Championships | Sudbury, Canada | 5th (h) | 400 m | 46.88 |
| 5th | 400 m hurdles | 51.70 | |||
| Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 26th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 51.06 | |
| 1990 | Commonwealth Games | Auckland, New Zealand | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 50.34 |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 47.64 |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 24th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 49.89 |
| World Cup | Havana, Cuba | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.88 | |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.14 | |||
| 1993 | Universiade | Buffalo, United States | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 50.31 |
| World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 47.60 | |
| 1994 | Commonwealth Games | Victoria, Canada | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.67 |
| Goodwill Games | St. Petersburg, Russia | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 47.98 | |
| World Cup | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.77 | |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.66 | |||
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 48.03 |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 47.78 |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 48.11 |
| 1998 | Goodwill Games | Uniondale, United States | 7th | 400 m hurdles | 48.96 |
| African Championships | Dakar, Senegal | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.58 | |
| World Cup | Johannesburg, South Africa | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.08 | |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 12th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.28 |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 10th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 48.98 |
Personal bests
- 400 metres hurdles – 47.10 seconds (1991)
- 400 metres – 44.88 seconds (1991)
- 200 metres – 21.04 seconds (1989)
- 100 metres – 10.77 seconds (1989)
- ^ Disqualified in the semifinals
- ^ Representing Africa
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