Despite his early success, Bayanda Walaza remains grounded and views his rapid rise as valuable preparation for what lies ahead.
South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza continues to make waves on the global stage in sprinting at such a young age, and he believes it is a good thing for his career.
The double world under-20 champion started his 2025 season on a high, competing in a series of races organised by Athletics Gauteng North.
It was at one of those events that Bayanda Walaza clocked a world-leading time of 9.99 seconds before it was eclipsed by Akani Simbine, who clocked 9.90 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix.
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Bayanda Walaza also went ahead to dominate the South African Championships before also competing at the USSA Athletics Track and Field Championships.
The 19-year-old was part of South Africa’s relay team that claimed top honours at the World Athletics Relays before extending the winning streak to 75. Boris Hanžeković Memorial.
He did not stop at that as he proceeded to finish second at the Kip Keino Classic before his recent fourth-place finish at the Racers Grand Prix.
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Bayanda Walaza: It’s a Good Thing
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Bayanda Walaza revealed that clocking such fast times at a young age is good for him since he can learn the ropes faster and will be a force to reckon with when he matures.
He added that competing against professional athletes has taught him a lot so far, on and off the track, and the skills he has gained will help him make better decisions.
“I think it is a good thing that it came this early so that I can prepare for the future. Going through what I’m going through now, being in these races with the big people, getting to know how to compete as a professional will help me in the future,” Bayanda Walaza revealed to Omilia Sports.
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Speaking about competing in Jamaica, Bayanda Walaza revealed that he once harboured a dream to be in the Caribbean nation is a dream come true.
Bayanda Walaza was expecting to achieve his dream at a later age, but expressed excitement to have gotten the rare chance.
“I’m truly excited because my dreams are coming true, but I believe they are coming true too early, because I did not expect that it would be this early,” Bayanda Walaza revealed.
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“I thought that it would be something that would happen when I’m 22 or 23, but I’m happy that it is happening now. I wanted to know how Jamaica is, and I’m excited.”
As Bayanda Walaza continues to exceed expectations on the global stage, he believes that his early experiences against elite competition are shaping him into a rising star with a promising future in world sprinting.