logo
OPINION: A flailing and bobbing rocket, Bayanda Walaza is on the rise

OPINION: A flailing and bobbing rocket, Bayanda Walaza is on the rise

The Citizen27-05-2025
This season, 19-year-old Walaza has already secured a gold medal at the World Relays and twice broken the SA junior 100m record.
Bayanda Walaza in action for Tshwane University of Technology at the USSA national student championships in Pretoria earlier this month. Picture: Cecilia van Bers/Gallo Images
When I first saw Bayanda Walaza run, my initial thought was 'this kid isn't gonna make it'.
His raw talent was clear, but in every other way, he was all wrong.
When Walaza hits top speed, his arms start flailing and his head begins bobbing, and he doesn't display anything you want to see in a sprinter.
But one thing I've learned from watching Walaza run is that technique can be deceptive. The 19-year-old prodigy is super quick out the blocks, and when he hits his stride he is bizarrely efficient.
Last season he won a historic 100m/200m double at the World U20 Championships and helped the SA 4x100m relay team earn the silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Future star?
However, raw talent only takes an athlete so far, and the reality is that most junior stars don't make it at senior level. So coming into the 2025 season, I expected Walaza to hit a plateau and ultimately vanish into obscurity, as so many do.
Oh how glad I am, at least on this occasion, to have been proved wrong.
Opting not to fiddle too much with Walaza's style, his coach Thabo Matebedi seems to have made a wise decision by allowing him to run naturally.
If Walaza was great last year, this season he has been spectacular.
Superb season thus far
Already in 2025, he has formed part of the quartet who won gold in the 4x100m final at the World Athletics Relays, and he has twice broken the SA junior 100m record, lowering the mark to 9.94 in Zagreb at the weekend (just 0.05 outside the world U20 record).
It might seem premature to suggest he could be the next global sprinting superstar, but Walaza's early progress has been impressive, and he is remarkably consistent.
Both a polite young man and a ball of raging energy, he also has the character to become a crowd favourite across the world, and he could be a wonderful ambassador for our country.
How he does it, with flailing arms and a bobbing head, is far less important than what he does, and Walaza already has the medals and records to show he has what it takes.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bournemouth splash out on Diakite as Zabarnyi replacement
Bournemouth splash out on Diakite as Zabarnyi replacement

eNCA

time4 hours ago

  • eNCA

Bournemouth splash out on Diakite as Zabarnyi replacement

Bournemouth completed the signing of centre-back Bafode Diakite from Lille on Wednesday to help fill the void left by Illia Zabarnyi's move to Paris Saint-Germain. Diakite will reportedly cost up to £34.6 million ($47 million), making him the Cherries second most expensive ever signing after striker Evanilson's arrival last year. The 24-year-old, who played for France at last year's Olympics, made 112 appearances for Lille, including 10 in the Champions League last season, since joining from Toulouse in 2022. Zabarnyi became the third key defender to leave Bournemouth during this transfer window when the Ukrainian joined the European champions for a reported £57 million on Tuesday. Dean Huijsen made a £50 million move to Real Madrid in June, while Milos Kerkez joined Liverpool for £40 million. "I'm really happy to be here and I'm very excited to start," said Diakite, who could face a daunting debut when Bournemouth open up the new Premier League season away to champions Liverpool on Friday. "I'm a defender who likes to have the ball and play with it, and I hope to show my qualities both with and without it. I will give everything for the team and I hope we will have some great moments together."

Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk
Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk

The Herald

time14 hours ago

  • The Herald

Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk

Akani Simbine found his afterburners in time to snatch a share of second place in the 100m behind Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest on Tuesday night. Earlier in the competition, 33-year-old Wayde van Niekerk achieved a world championship qualifying time as he ran his fastest 200m race in eight years. But Simbine, fourth at the Paris Olympics last year, was the man to watch a month out from the global showpiece in Tokyo. Simbine, the anchor of the 4x100m relay team that claimed silver at the 2024 Games, had a disappointing showing at the last Diamond League meet in London last month, and once again he got off to a slow start, finding himself near the back of the field. But unlike his display just more than three weeks ago, the speedster delivered his trademark top-end speed to cross the line in 10.01 to share second place with Abdul-Rasheed Saminu of Ghana. Thompson won in 9.95.

Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk
Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk

TimesLIVE

timea day ago

  • TimesLIVE

Akani Simbine snatches second; Tokyo qualifier for Wayde van Niekerk

Akani Simbine found his after-burners in time to snatch a share of second place in the 100m behind Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest on Tuesday night. Earlier in the competition, 33-year-old Wayde van Niekerk achieved a world championship qualifying time as he ran his fastest 200m race in eight years. But Simbine, fourth at the Paris Olympics last year, was the man to watch a month out from the global showpiece in Tokyo. Simbine, the anchor of the 4x100m relay team that claimed silver at the 2024 Games, had had a disappointing showing at the last Diamond League meet in London last month, and once again he got off to a slow start, finding himself near the back of the field. But unlike his display just more than three weeks ago, the speedster delivered his trademark top-end speed to cross the line in 10.01 to share second place with Abdul-Rasheed Saminu of Ghana. Thompson won in 9.95.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store