Teenager Bayanda Walaza clocked the fourth fastest time in South African sprint history after running a lifetime best in the 100m at the Boris Hankezovic Memorial meeting in Zagreb on Saturday.
Walaza showed why he is the prince of South African sprinting after clocking a sub-10 second 9.94 to blow away the field in a new national junior record.
With the time, Walaza joined Wayde van Niekerk and Gift Leotlela as SA athletes who have run the 100m in 9.94. Only Akani Simbine (9.82), Benjamin Richardson (9.86) and Shaun Maswanganyi (9.91) have gone faster.
In March, Walaza broke the national junior record when he became the ninth South African to run under 10 seconds, clocking 9.99.
On Saturday, Walaza flew clear of the field at the halfway mark. With his head going forward and back in trademark ungainly fashion, Olympic sprint relay silver medallist charged all the way to the line.
Owen Ansah of Germany was a distant second ahead of Sweden’s Henrik Larsson with both men timed at 10.20.
Walaza has enjoyed an unbelievable 12 months, winning the Olympic silver medal with the men’s 4x100m relay team at the Paris Olympics. Walaza also won World U20 Championship golds in both the 100m and 200m in 2024.
Having twice gone sub-10 in the men’s 100m in 2025, there’s no telling just how quick Walaza will go in what should be a long and sensational career.
His next target will be the world championships in Japan later this year, with the South African 4x100m team, anchored by Simbine, again looking to win a medal.
@JohnGoliath82
