Bayanda Walaza flies to the finish line in Zagreb

JOHANNESBURG – Bayanda Walaza won the men's 100m race at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour meeting on Saturday.

He stopped the clock at 9.94 seconds, breaking his own national U20 record of 9.99, which he set in Tshwane in March.

Walaza finished well clear of German sprinter Owen Ansah, who took second place in Zagreb in 10.20.

The three faster under-20 runners are Issamade Asinga of Surinam (9.89 in 2023), Botswana’s Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo (9.91 in 2022) and American Christian Miller (9.93 in 2024).

The 19-year-old is now fourth on the all-time age-group list and joint fourth on the overall South African roster, alongside Wayde van Niekerk and training partner Gift Leotlela.

Walaza continues to show why he’s one to watch, having won Olympic silver in the 4x100m relay in Paris, taking the 100m-200m sprint double at the 2024 under-20 world championships in Lima, Peru, and winning 4x100m gold at the World Relays in China earlier this month.