Bayanda Walaza

Bayanda Walaza
At the 2025 Summer World University Games
Personal information
Born (2006-02-09) 9 February 2006
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Sprint
University teamTshwane University of Technology
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  South Africa
Summer Olympics
Silver medal – second place2024 Paris4×100 m relay
Summer World University Games
Gold medal – first place2025 Bochum100 m
Gold medal – first place2025 Bochum200 m
Silver medal – second place2025 Bochum4×100 m relay
World Relays
Gold medal – first place2025 Guangzhou4 × 100 m relay
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2024 Lima100m
Gold medal – first place2024 Lima200m
African U18 Championships
Bronze medal – third place2023 Ndola100m

Bayanda Joy Walaza (born 9 February 2006) is a South African sprinter.[1] He won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics as part of South Africa's 4 x 100 metres relay team.[2]

Early life

From Katlehong in Gauteng, he attended Monde Primary School, Hoërskool Vorentoe and received a scholarship to Curro Hazeldean High School in Pretoria.[3][4][5]

Career

Walaza runs for Athletics Gauteng North.[6] He won the SA U18 200m title in 21.10s and took silver in the 100m in 10.63s at the Athletics South Africa U18 Championships in Pietermaritzburg in January 2023.[4] He won the bronze medal in the 100m at the African U18 Championships in 10.59s in April 2023 in Zambia.[7]

He ran 10.36 seconds to win the U19 boys 100m race at the Curro Hazeldean Top 14 Athletics Meet which took place at the Pilditch Stadium, Pretoria on 28 January 2024.[4] He won the South Africa U20 Championships over 100 and 200 metres in personal bests of 10.13 and 20.34 in March 2024.[8][6] He was runner-up at the South African Championships over 100 metres in April 2024 in a time of 10.27 seconds.[9]

He ran as part of the South African 4 × 100 m relay team which qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the 2024 World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.[10] In June 2024, he was selected for the South African team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[11][12]

On 9 August 2024, Walaza won an Olympic silver medal as part of South Africa's 4 x 100 metres relay team at the Paris Olympics while still only 18 years old, becoming the first South African to win an Olympic medal while still in high school.[2] He won gold in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru in August 2024, running 10.19 and 20.52 respectably.[13][14]

Walaza opened his season with a 46.61 personal best in the 400m in Pilditch Staduim, Pretoria on February 5. He would then win the AGN Provincial Championships in a massive personal best of 9.99 in the 100m on March 15 and run another personal best in the 200m in 20.08 at the ASA Grand Prix in Johanesburg on March 19. Walaza won the 100 metres at the South African U20 Championships in Cape Town at the end of March 2025 in 10.26, finishing ahead of Karabo Letebele.[15] He ran 10.00 seconds for a second place finish behind Gift Leotlela at the 2025 senior South African Athletics Championships over 100 metres the following month.[16] He competed at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China in the Men's 4 × 100 metres relay in May 2025 and helped South Africa win the event.[17] Later that month, he lowered his 100 metres personal best to 9.94 seconds whilst racing in Zagreb into a headwind of -0.3 m/s.[18] He finished sixth in 10.04 seconds at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on 5 July.[19] That month, he won the sprint double over 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Germany, as well as a silver medal in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay.[20][21][22]

He suffered an injury running the 100 metres at the Diamond League Final in Zurich in August 2025. Despite this, he was selected for the South African team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, although he late had to withdraw from the team due to the injury.[23]

Walaza returned from his injury to compete in the European summer in 2026, setting a meeting record of 10.03 seconds at the Triveneto Meeting Internazionale in Italy, and placing fourth over 100 metres at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on 3 June.[24] On 16 June, he equalled his personal best to win the 100 metres in 9.94 seconds at the Golden Spike Ostrava. Walaza would lower his personal best again on July 21st, running 9.89s at Banska Bystrica[25]

Achievements

Personal bests

DistanceTime (s)WindLocationDateNotes
60 metres 6.58 -1.8 m/s Pretoria, South Africa 8 February 2025
100 meters 9.89 +1.0 m/s Banská Bystrica, Slovakia 21 July 2026
200 meters 20.08 +0.5 m/s Johannesburg, South Africa 19 March 2025
400 meters 46.61 N/a Pretoria, South Africa 1 February 2025

International competitions

Representing  South Africa
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes
2023 African U18 and U20 Championships in Athletics Ndola, Zambia 3rd 100 m 10.59
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 2nd 4 × 100 m relay 37.57 AR
World U20 Championships Lima, Peru 1st 100 m 10.19
1st 200 m 20.52
2025 World Relays Guangzhou, China 1st 4 × 100 m relay 37.61
World University Games Bochum, Germany 1st 100 m 10.16
1st 200 m 20.63
2nd 4×100 m relay 38.80

Circuit wins and titles

References

  1. ↑ "Bayanda Walaza". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Olympic Silver for Curro Hazeldean's Bayanda Walaza". Supersport Schools Plus. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "Athletics: Bayanda, making more strides is his career". saschoolsports.co.za. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 February 7, 2024, Mosibodi Whitehead (7 February 2024). "'If you trust yourself, then you'll do it' - 17-year-old Walaza runs 10.36 at Schools Meet". Thetoprunner. Retrieved 21 June 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "SA's Fastest Teenager: Bayanda Walaza". saschoolsports.co.za. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 Whitehead, Mosibodi (22 March 2024). "Records tumble as Walaza runs 10.13 on Day 1 of the ASA U16, U18, U20 Champs". thetoprunner. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Whitehead, Mosibodi (26 May 2023). "Walaza wins big at Vorentoe Awards as school athletics programme searches for new sponsor". The Top Runner. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  8. ↑ Botton, Wesley (24 March 2024). "Teenage sprinter Bayanda Walaza is the real deal". Citizen.co.za. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "South African Champiosnhips". World Athletics. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "Men 4x100m Results - World Athletics Relays Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "More SA athletes for Paris Olympics announced". SuperSport. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  12. ↑ Isaacson, David (20 June 2024). "Crazy schoolboy runner gets Paris Olympics spot". Businesslive.co.za. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  13. ↑ "Reid and Walaza win world U20 100m titles in Lima". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima". World Athletics. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  15. ↑ "South African U20 Championships". World Athletics. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "South African Championships". World Athletics. 27 April 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "Men's 4x100 Metres Relay - World Athletics Relays Championships 2025". Watch Athletics. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Ceh dominates discus as meeting records fall in Zagreb". World Athletics. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Results - Eugene Diamond League - Pre Classic 2025". Watch Athletics Weekly. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  20. ↑ "Walaza Completes Sprint Double with 200m Gold at World University Games". sportsouthafrica.co.za. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  21. ↑ "S. African sprinter Walaza crowned in 100m, USA claims 4 more swimming golds at Universiade". News.cn. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  22. ↑ "Bayanda Walaza ends 2025 FISU World University Games with three-medal haul". Olympics.con. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "Walaza rebounds from injury to be selected for World Athletics Championships". iol.co.za. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  24. ↑ Callaghan, Rowan (4 June 2026). "Bayanda Walaza steps up injury comeback as SA sprint contingent shines in Europe". Daily News. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "Lyles smashes world 150m best in Ostrava". World Athletics. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
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