| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 February 2006 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Sprint |
| University team | Tshwane University of Technology |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | |
Medal record | |
Bayanda 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]
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]
Walaza runs for Athletics Gauteng North. [6] He won the SA U18 200m title and took silver in the 100m 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 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 metres in a 10.13 personal best 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. [13] [14]
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. [15] Later that month, he lowered his 100 metres personal best to 9.94 seconds whilst racing in Zagreb into a headwind of -0.3m/s. [16] He finished sixth in 10.04 seconds at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on 5 July. [17] That month, he won the sprint double over 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Germany. [18] [19]
| Distance | Time (s) | Wind | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 metres | 6.58 | -1.8 m/s | Pretoria, South Africa | 8 February 2025 | |
| 100 meters | 9.94 | -0.3 m/s | Zagreb, Croatia | 24 May 2025 | |
| 200 meters | 20.08 | +0.5 m/s | Johannesburg, South Africa | 19 March 2025 | |
| 400 meters | 46.61 | — | Pretoria, South Africa | 1 February 2025 |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) World U20 Champions in men's 100 metres | |
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World U20 Champions in men's 200 metres | |
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World University Games champions in men's 100 metres | |
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World University Games champions in men's 200 metres | |
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