Despite a shaky start in the semifinals, Bayanda Walaza’s golden moment at the World Athletics U20 Championships is a tale of sheer resilience and triumph.
Lima, Peru (29 August 2024) – Dubbed the fastest teenager on the planet, Bayanda Walaza lived up to his expectations, capturing gold in the Men’s 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, early Thursday morning.
Just twenty days after clinching silver in the men’s 4x100m relay alongside Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi, and Bradley Nkoana at the 2024 Olympics, Walaza dominated the Lima track, finishing in a remarkable 10.19 seconds.
His fellow South African, Nkoana, secured bronze with a time of 10.26 seconds, while Thailand’s Puripol Boonson claimed silver in 10.22 seconds.
Walaza thanked his school, Curro Hazeldean, for making it possible for his coach, Thabo ‘Coach T’ Matebedi, to travel with him to the Olympic Games, where his preparations for the World Athletics U20 Championships continued alongside his work with Team SA.
“This year my goal was to do well at the World Championships. I always travel with Coach T and I’d like to thank my school for all the support they have given me. My school pays for him to travel with me, which helps me not to panic. So for example, I was going to panic if I had to go to Paris alone, but thankfully Coach T was with me because I still had to do my sessions for the World Championships.”
According to the school, what made the victory sweeter for the first South African schoolboy to win an Olympic medal was that he almost didn’t make it out of the semi-finals.
Walaza stumbled out of his blocks and had to work hard during the second half of his race to win it in 10.33 and secure safe passage to the final.
“I had to trust myself. I had to be zoned in and tell myself that whatever happens, I have to finish strong so that I don’t end up having any regrets and feeling like I didn’t give it my all. I truly appreciate what I just did. I can’t believe it.”
For all he has achieved over the last three weeks, Curro CEO Cobus Loubser praised their golden boy, describing him as an inspiration to his peers across all the groups’ schools.
“What Bayanda represents is the opportunity that will lead every learner to believe that they can also achieve greatness. It’s incredibly powerful for us and we are super proud of being a little part of his story because he’s done this. It’s him. He put in the work and we are delighted that we’ve been able to support him,” says Loubser.
We’re rallying behind our sprinting champ as Walaza prepares for his next event, the 200m, which gets underway later today (29 August) at 19:05 CAT.
Sources: World Athletics / Curro Hazeldean
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Bayanda Walaza
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