Nineteen-year-old South African sprinting sensation Bayanda Walaza is proving that he’s a force to be reckoned with. Over the past week, he has smashed records and secured his spot at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo later this year.
At the Athletics Gauteng North Provincial Championships in Pretoria on Saturday, Walaza became the ninth South African in history to run the 100m in under 10 seconds, clocking an electrifying 9.99 seconds. If that wasn’t impressive enough, just days later, on Wednesday night, he broke the national Under-20 record in the 200m at the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix in Johannesburg, clocking 20.08 seconds. Not bad for a first-year university student.
Walaza’s coach, Thabo Matebedi, commented on his dominant performance over the last year. “We are on the right track,” Matebedi told News24. “He just turned pro, and one of the biggest plans for him this year was to go to Tokyo for the World Championships. The target was to qualify at the Gauteng North Championships, and by the time we get to SA national championships, we must just fight for the medal,” said Matebedi.
With qualification for the World Championships secured, Walaza is now setting his sights on the South African national championships in Potchefstroom in April.
Walaza’s rise has been meteoric. After clinching Olympic silver in the 100m relay in Paris last year and dominating the World Athletics Junior Championships in Peru with a double gold in the 100m and 200m, expectations were high for him this season.
For Walaza, excelling in just one event isn’t enough—he’s determined to dominate both the 100m and 200m. Having already secured qualification for the World Championships in both races, he is now focused on refining his strategy for the double.
With his confidence soaring after breaking records, Walaza knows the road to Tokyo will require careful planning: “We’ll see as the year goes [on] because it’s still a long [time]. September is too far so I believe we’re going to find which one is right or if I am strong enough, as I believe that I’m strong enough, I can do double.”
Walaza’s journey is just beginning, and if this past week is anything to go by, South Africa has a future sprinting superstar in the making.
Emma is a freshly graduated Journalist from Stellenbosch University, who also holds an Honours in history. She joined the explain team, eager to provide thorough and truthful information and connect with her generation.
