South African sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza has etched his name in history, breaking the country’s Under-20 100m record and solidifying his status as one of the fastest junior athletes the world has ever seen.
Competing at the Gauteng North Provincial Championships on Saturday, March 16, the 19-year-old clocked an electrifying 9.99 seconds, becoming only the ninth South African to dip below the 10-second mark. This performance shattered the previous national junior record of 10.03 seconds, set by Bradley Nkoana, by 0.04 seconds.
Walaza’s meteoric rise in track and field has been nothing short of remarkable. The young sprinter, known for his unique running style, first grabbed global attention in 2024 after securing an Olympic silver medal in the 4x100m relay and dominating the World Athletics U20 Championships, where he claimed gold in both the 100m and 200m events.
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His recent sprint heroics have reignited a rivalry with Australian rising star Gout Gout, who secured the Under-20 200m title at the Queensland Athletics Championships on Sunday, posting an impressive 20.05 seconds—just 0.01 secondsshy of Australia’s national senior record. The battle between Walaza and Gout is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling matchups in the future of sprinting, with both athletes currently holding the fastest junior times of the season in their respective events.
Walaza’s journey to sprinting stardom began in 2024 when he ran a 10.13-second 100m at the South African Junior Championships before finishing second behind seasoned sprinter Akani Simbine at the senior nationals. His 2025 season started with a bang as he recorded a 6.58-second sprint over 60m in Pretoria—the 11th fastest time ever by a junior over the distance.
With this sub-10-second breakthrough, Walaza has proven he is no longer just a rising talent—he is now a legitimate contender at the senior level, and the world will be watching to see what he does next.
