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Bayanda Walaza

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Bayanda Walaza
Personal information
Born (2006-02-09) 9 February 2006 (age 18)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventSprint
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100m: 10.13 (Pretoria, 2024)
200m: 20.34 (Pretoria, 2024)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  South Africa
Summer Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris 4×100 m relay
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Lima 100m
Gold medal – first place 2024 Lima 200m
African U18 Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Ndola 100m

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]

Early life

From Katlehong in Gauteng, he attended 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 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 4x100m 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.[13] He won gold in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru in August 2024.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ "Bayanda Walaza". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b Whitehead, Mosibodi (March 22, 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 (May 26, 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. ^ "Olympic Silver for Curro Hazeldean's Bayanda Walaza". Supersport Schools Plus. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Reid and Walaza win world U20 100m titles in Lima". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima". World Athletics. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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