South African sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza has etched his name into history following his historic run in Pretoria.
South Africa’s rising sprint sensation, Bayanda Walaza, has cemented his place among the country’s sprinting greats by becoming the ninth South African to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters.
The 19-year-old sprinter clocked 9.99 seconds to win the Gauteng North Championships at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday, setting a new national under-20 record in the process.
Walaza’s electrifying run saw him edge out seasoned sprinters Gift Leotlela (10.17s) and Emile Erasmus (10.26s) to claim the provincial title.
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More impressively, his time places him among an exclusive global group—he is now only the seventh under-20 sprinter in history to go under 10 seconds in the 100m.
He joins Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the fastest U20 athlete at 9.91s, in this prestigious category.
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This feat further underscores Walaza’s rapid rise in the sprinting world. Last year, he played a crucial role in South Africa’s 4x100m relay team, which won a historic silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
He is also the reigning U20 world champion in both the 100m and 200m, a testament to his dominance at junior level.
With the World Championships in Tokyo fast approaching in September, Walaza’s performance serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the national relay team’s competitive edge.
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His blistering speed and consistent performances suggest that South Africa could once again challenge for medals on the global stage.
At just 19, Walaza’s future looks incredibly bright.
His ability to balance individual success with relay contributions makes him a key figure in South Africa’s sprinting ambitions. As he continues to improve, the prospect of him challenging for major senior titles and lowering his time even further remains very much within reach.
For now, though, his 9.99-second milestone marks a significant step in his career and adds another name to South Africa’s growing legacy of world-class sprinters.
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