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Mujinga Kambundji

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Mujinga Kambundji
Kambundji in 2022
Personal information
Born (1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 34)
Bern, Switzerland[1]
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)[2]
Life partnerFlorian Clivaz
Sport
CountrySwitzerland
SportAthletics
Events
60 m, 100 m, 200 m
ClubST Bern
Coached byFlorian Clivaz (2022—)
Adrian Rothenbühler (2017—2022)
Valerij Bauer (2013–2017)
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Switzerland
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2019 Doha200 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Belgrade60 m
Gold medal – first place2025 Nanjing60 m
Bronze medal – third place2018 Birmingham60 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Munich200 m
Gold medal – first place2024 Rome200 m
Silver medal – second place2022 Munich100 m
Bronze medal – third place2016 Amsterdam100 m
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 Istanbul60 m
Silver medal – second place2025 Apeldoorn60 m
Bronze medal – third place2017 Belgrade60 m
European Team Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 Bydgoszcz100 m
Gold medal – first place2017 Bydgoszcz4 × 100 m relay
Gold medal – first place2019 Vaasa200 m
Silver medal – second place2019 Vaasa4 × 100 m relay
European Youth Olympic Festival
Gold medal – first place2009 Tampere4 × 100 m relay
Silver medal – second place2009 Tampere100 m

Mujinga Kambundji (German pronunciation: [muˈʒɪŋa kamˈbʊndʒi];[3] born 17 June 1992) is a Swiss sprinter. She is the 2022 and 2025 World Indoor 60 m champion and she won the bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2019 World Championships.

Kambundji earnt her first global medal, a bronze, over 60 m at the 2018 World Indoor Championships. She is a four-time European Championship medallist, winning gold in the 200 m in 2022 and 2024, as well as winning silver in the 100 m in 2022, and bronze in 2016. At the European Indoor Championships, she earned gold in the 60 m in 2023, silver in 2025 and bronze in 2017.

Kambundji's 60 m personal best of 6.96 s makes her the Swiss record holder and the sixth fastest woman ever in the event. She also holds the Swiss national records for the 100 m (10.90) and 200 m (22.05). She has represented Switzerland at the 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympics, with her best finish being sixth in the 100 m in 2020 and 2024. She has won 31 Swiss national titles, both indoors and out.

Early life and family

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Mujinga Kambundji was born on 17 June 1992 in Bern[1] to a Congolese father, Safuka, and a Bernese mother, Ruth. Mujinga is the second of four children. Her younger sister Ditaji is also an international athlete, who won gold in the 100 m hurdles at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.[4] Her older sister, Kaluanda, was the first to enroll in a track programme, followed by Mujinga, then Muswama, and finally Ditaji. Muswama later competed in Bobsleigh.[5]

Career

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2009—2012: Early career and Olympic debut

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In 2009, Kambundji won the silver medal in the 100 metres and the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the European Youth Olympic Festival, and gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the Swiss championships. For this, she was elected Swiss Athlete of the Year by the Swiss Athletics Association.

In 2010, she won the 200 m in the Second League of the European Team Championships, and broke the Swiss U20 record in the event by running 23.63 s at the World U20 Championships.[6]

She represented Switzerland at the 2012 European Championships, where she was eliminated in the heats of the 100 m.[7] Later that year, she competed in the heats of the 4×100 m relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[8]

2013—2014: Swiss 100 m national records

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Kambundji trained with the ST Bern athletics club and was coached by Jacques Cordey. In the autumn of 2013 she moved to Mannheim to train under coach Valerij Bauer alongside former European champion Verena Sailer.[9][10]

At the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich, she broke her own national record in the heats and semi-finals of the 100 metres competition before finishing fourth in the final.[9] She subsequently finished fifth and broke Regula Aebi's 26-year-old national record in the 200 metres final.[11]

2016—2017: European 100 m bronze medallist

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Kambundji qualified for the Swiss team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, reaching the semi-finals of both the 100 m and the 200 m events.[12] Earlier in the same year, she had won bronze in the 100 m competition at the European Championships in Amsterdam.[13]

At the 2017 World Championships in London, Kambundji finished 10th in the 100 m competition.[14] In the 4 × 100 m relay event, she and her teammates Ajla Del Ponte, Sarah Atcho and Salomé Kora improved the national record in the semi-finals[15] and finished fifth in the final.[16] At the end of the year, Kambundji announced that she will work with Dutch coach Henk Kraaijenhof in the future.[17] Their working relationship was terminated after only two months, however.[18] She switched coaches again to Adrian Rothenbühler who trained her for five years until November 2022 when her partner Florian Clivaz, a former sprinter, replaced Rothenbühler as Kambundji's coach.[19][20]

Kambundji races at the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham where she won the bronze medal.

2018—2019: World 200 m bronze medallist

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At the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Kambundji won bronze in the 60 m final.[21] On 13 July, at the 2018 Swiss Championships in Zofingen, Kambundji won the 100 m in 10.95 s, becoming the first Swiss woman to break 11 seconds in the 100 m.[22][23] At the European Championships in Berlin, she finished fourth in the 100 m and in the 200 m. She later competed in the 4 × 100 m relay (with Ajla Del Ponte, Sarah Atcho and Salomé Kora), where they also finished fourth.[24]

On 23 August 2019, Kambundji won the Swiss 100 m title, running 11.00 s.[25] The next day, she won the 200 m in a new national record of 22.26 s.[26] At the World Championships held in Doha, Qatar, Kambundji finished won the bronze medal in the 200 m, becoming the first Swiss person to win a medal in a sprint event.[27][28] Later, she was named the Swiss Female Sports Personality of the Year.[29]

2021—2022

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At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kambundji qualified for the finals in both 100 m and 200 m sprints, finishing sixth in the former and seventh in the latter event.[30][31] She was also part of the Swiss 4 × 100 m relay team that finished fourth in the final.[32] She won her first ever Diamond League in what was regarded as an upset win at the Prefontaine Classic on 21 August 2021, beating a field that included Gabby Thomas, Dina Asher-Smith and Allyson Felix over 200 m by running a wind-assisted time of 22.06 (+2.4).[33][34]

Kambundji after winning the 200 m at the 2022 European Championships.

She won the gold medal in the 60 m at the 2022 World Indoor Championships held in Belgrade in a time of 6.96 seconds, putting her joint-fourth on the world all-time list; a rare feat racing from lane eight. No woman had run faster over the distance since 1999.[35] On 14 June, she won the 200 m at the Citius Meeting in Bern, running a Swiss national record and meeting record of 22.18 s.[36] She also won the 100 m in 11.11 s.[37] At the Swiss Championships on 24 June, Kambundji won the 100 m in 10.89 s, beating her own Swiss national record.[38]

At the 2022 World Championships, she placed fifth in the 100 m, running 10.91 s.[39] She went onto place eighth in the 200 m, running 22.55 s. She had previously improved her Swiss national record to 22.05 s in the semi-finals.[40] At the European Championships in Munich, she won a silver medal behind Gina Luckenkemper in a photo finish in the 100 m, with both athletes being given a time of 10.99 s.[41] Three days later, she won the 200 m title in a time of 22.32 s.[42][43] She received another award for being the Swiss Female Sports Personality of the Year in December.[44]

2023-present: World and European 60 m champion

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Kambundji winning the 60 m final at the 2023 European Indoor Championships.

At the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Kambundji won gold in the 60 m, running 7.00 s to win her first European Indoor title.[45] In August, at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, she was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 m.[46]

The following year at the European Athletics Championships, she finished eighth in the 100 m, running 11.15 s.[47] Two days later, Kambundji returned to win the 200 m final in 22.49 s, beating Daryll Neita by 0.01 s in a photo finish.[48] On 14 July, she won at the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, running 10.90 s, only 0.01 s behind her personal best.[49] At the Olympics in Paris, Kambundji finished sixth in the 100 m, running 10.99 s.[50] She made the semi-finals of the 200 m, where she finished fourth and was eliminated.[51]

In March 2025, Kambundji won silver over 60 m at the 2025 European Indoor Championships, running 7.02 s to finish 0.01 s behind Zaynab Dosso.[52] Later that month, at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, she won gold in the same event, running 7.04 s.[53][54]

Personal life and miscellaneous

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Kambundji gave birth to her first child in November 2025.[55]

ETH Zurich student organization Swissloop's entry to the 2018 edition of the Hyperloop competition was a transport capsule named Mujinga, after Kambundji.[56]

Achievements

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Mujinga Kambundji with her bronze at the 2018 World Indoor Championships held in Birmingham.
Kambundji (C) won her 100 m heat and later placed fifth in the final at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

Personal bests

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EventTime (m:)sWind (m/s)VenueDateNotes
60 metres indoor 6.96 N/a Belgrade, Serbia 18 March 2022 NR
100 metres 10.89 +0.6 Zurich, Switzerland 24 June 2022 NR
200 metres 22.05 +2.0 Eugene, OR, United States 19 July 2022 NR
4 × 100 m relay 42.05 N/a Tokyo, Japan 5 August 2021 NR
4 × 200 m relay 1:31.75 N/a Nassau, Bahamas 25 May 2014 NR

International competitions

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Representing  Switzerland
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2009 World Youth Championships Brixen, Italy 6th 200 m 23.92
European Youth Olympic Festival Tampere, Finland 2nd 100 m 11.84
1st 4 × 100 m relay 46.30
2010 European Team Championships Belgrade, Serbia 1st 200 m 24.20
2nd 4 × 100 m relay 45.46
2011 European Team Championships İzmir, Turkey 3rd 4 × 100 m relay 44.24
European Athletics Junior Championships Tallinn, Estonia 5th 100 m 11.53
5th 200 m 23.70
2013 European U23 Championships Tampere, Finland 4th 100 m 11.55 SB
5th 200 m 23.70 SB
2014 European Championships Zurich, Switzerland 4th 100 m 11.30
5th 200 m 22.83 NR
4th (h) 4 × 100 m relay 42.981
2015 European Indoor Championships Prague, Czech Republic 5th 60 m 7.11 NR
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 3rd 100 m 11.25
2017 European Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 3rd 60 m 7.16 SB
European Team Championships First League Vaasa, Finland 1st 100 m 11.45
1st 4 × 100 m relay 43.77
World Championships London, United Kingdom 5th 4 × 100 m relay 42.51
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 60 m 7.05
European Championships Berlin, Germany 4th 100 m 11.05
4th 200 m 22.45 SB
4th 4 × 100 m relay 42.30
2019 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 5th 60 m 7.16
European Team Championships Super League Bydgoszcz, Poland 1st 200 m 22.72 SB
2nd 4 × 100 m relay 43.11
World Championships Doha, Qatar 3rd 200 m 22.51
4th 4 × 100 m relay 42.18 NR
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 6th 100 m 10.99
7th 200 m 22.30
4th 4 × 100 m relay 42.08
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 1st 60 m 6.96 WL
World Championships Eugene, United States 5th 100 m 10.91
8th 200 m 22.55
7th 4 × 100 m relay 42.81
European Championships Munich, Germany 2nd 100 m 10.99
1st 200 m 22.32
2023 European Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 1st 60 m 7.00 CR
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 13th (sf) 100 m 11.04 SB
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 8th 100 m 11.15
1st 200 m 22.49
Olympic Games Paris, France 6th 100 m 10.99
11th (sf) 200 m 22.63
6th (h) 4 × 100 m relay 42.361
2025 European Indoor Championships Apeldoorn, Netherlands 2nd 60 m 7.02
World Indoor Championships Nanjing, China 1st 60 m 7.04

1Did not finish in the final.

Circuit wins and titles

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(4 × 100 metres relay wins, other events specified in parentheses)
(200 metres wins, other nspecified in parentheses)
(60 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses)

National titles

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Recognition

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2019

2022

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 About me Archived 2 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine on her website, 2 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "Mujinga Kambundji". Olympedia. OlyMADmen. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "KAMBUNDJI Mujinga". Paris 2024. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Pour les parents de Mujinga Kambundji, "l'équilibre familial passe avant le sport"". La Liberté. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Dubach, Matthias (30 December 2023). "Kambundji races to bobsleigh championship title in St. Moritz". Blick. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Junge Bernerin bricht Leichtathletikrekorde". Der Bund. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  7. ↑ "2012 European Championships - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "2012 Summer Olympics - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Mega-happy Mujinga Kambundji". European Athletics Association. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Schönenberger, Carl (2 August 2009). "Meitschi Kambundji ist ein Juwel!". Blick. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  11. ↑ "Athlétisme: Mujinga Kambundji 5e du 200m européen" [Athletics: Mujinga Kambundji 5th in European 200m]. Radio Télévision Suisse (in French). 15 August 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Olympic". Archived from the original on 6 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Schippers wins second European 100m gold in Amsterdam | REPORT | World Athletics".
  14. ↑ Summary. 100 Metres Women - Semi-Final iaaf.org
  15. ↑ Summary. 4 x 100 Metres Relay Women - Round 1 iaaf.org
  16. ↑ Results. 4 x 100 Metres Relay Women - Final iaaf.org
  17. ↑ "Kambundji geht aufs Ganze". Berner Zeitung (in German). 24 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  18. ↑ "Von Neuanfang zu Neuanfang". Berner Zeitung (in German). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  19. ↑ "Mujinga und Ditaji Kambundji trennen sich von Trainer Rothenbühler". Nau (in German). Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  20. ↑ Adey, Oliver (2 November 2022). "2023 - Mujinga Kambundji sprints to world class". Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  21. ↑ Sutton, Nicola (2 March 2018). "Report: women's 60m final - IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  22. ↑ SM Zofingen 2018: 100m Frauen Final. Swiss Athletics. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  23. ↑ "All-time toplists - to 14 July 2018 - Women's 100m - Switzerland". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "2019 European Athletics Championships - Women's 4x100 Metres Relay - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  25. ↑ "2019 Swiss Championships - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  26. ↑ W 200m - Mujinga Kambundji (Switzerland) - 22.26 - Basel (Swi) - 2019 - Swiss National Record. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  27. ↑ "200 Metres Result | IAAF World Athletics Championships, DOHA 2019".
  28. ↑ "Mujinga Kambundji, the queen of Swiss sprint!". Diamond League. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Mujinga Kambundji ist die Schweizer Sportlerin des Jahres 2019" [Mujinga Kambundji is the Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 2019]. Swiss Athletics (in Deutsch). 15 December 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  30. ↑ Whittington, Jess (31 July 2021). "Thompson-Herah runs Olympic record to retain 100m title in Tokyo". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "2020 Summer Olympics - Women's 200m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "2020 Summer Olympics - Women's 4x100m Relay - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  33. ↑ Mujinga Kambundji upsets Felix, Thomas in 200m at Prefontaine Classic. NBC Sports. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2026 – via YouTube.
  34. ↑ "2021 Pre Classic Recap: Elaine Thompson-Herah Scares 100m WR, Sha'Carri Richardson Humbled, Athing Mu, Courtney Frerichs American Records, Ingebrigsten, Kipyegon Keep Winning". Letsrun.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  35. ↑ Crumley, Euan (18 March 2022). "Special run means the world to Kambundji". AW. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  36. ↑ Mills, Steven (14 June 2022). "Kambundji blasts to a European 200m lead of 22.18 in Bern". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "Kambundji glänzt mit Schweizer Rekord über 200 m" [Kambundji shines with Swiss record over 200 m]. SRF (in Deutsch). 14 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  38. ↑ Mills, Steven (25 June 2022). "Kambundji storms a 10.89 100m victory at the Swiss Championships". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "2022 World Athletics Championships - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "2022 World Athletics Championships - Women's 200m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  41. ↑ Smith, Gray (16 August 2022). "Marcell Jacobs, Gina Luckenkemper win European 100m titles – Results and highlights". world-track.org. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  42. ↑ Tulloch, Ash; Poggi, Alessandro (19 August 2022). "Dina Asher-Smith fails to retain title as Mujinga Kambundji takes 200m European championship crown". olympics.com. IOC. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  43. ↑ Women's 200m Final - Munich 2022 - Mujinga Kambundji. European Athletics. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2026 – via YouTube.
  44. ↑ "Skiing and athletics share top honours at Swiss sports awards". SRF. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  45. ↑ Women's 60m semifinals AND final. FULL replays - Istanbul 2023. European Athletics. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2026 – via YouTube.
  46. ↑ "2023 World Athletics Championships - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  47. ↑ "2024 European Athletics Championships - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  48. ↑ Mills, Steven (12 June 2024). "Warholm and Bol retain 400m hurdles titles in championship records in Rome". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  49. ↑ Kambundji blasts a 10.90 100m in La-Chaux-de-Fonds!. European Athletics. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  50. ↑ "Mujinga Kambundji termine 6e du 100m" [Mujinga Kambundji finishes 6th in the 100m]. RTS (in Deutsch). 4 August 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  51. ↑ "2024 Summer Olympics - Women's 100m - Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  52. ↑ Goulding, Grace (9 March 2025). "2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships: Italy's Zaynab Dosso blazes to women's 60m gold in world-leading time". olympics.com. IOC. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  53. ↑ Whittington, Jess (22 March 2025). "Kambundji regains world indoor 60m title in Nanjing". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  54. ↑ Szreter, Adam (22 March 2025). "Kambundji leads European clean sweep in the 60m final in Nanjing". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  55. ↑ Trapnell, Jasmine (7 May 2026). "Returning from pregnancy just like rehabbing an injury for Kambundji". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  56. ↑ Stalder, Helmut. "Mit dieser superschnellen Transportkapsel will ein ETH-Team den Hyperloop-Wettbewerb von Elon Musk gewinnen | NZZ". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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