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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bayanda Walaza left Gift Leotlela (10.17 seconds) and Emile Erasmus (10.26 seconds) in his wake on the way to rewriting 100m history at the Athletics Gauteng North championships, which took place at Pretoria’s Pilditch Stadium on Friday and Saturday, 14–15 March.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The standout moment came from Walaza after the 19-year-old ran a blistering personal best time of 9.99 seconds to clinch gold in the 100m dash. With the victory Walaza became just the ninth South African to run a time of under 10 seconds in the distance. The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student is also the first junior from South Africa to manage the feat. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walaza’s time is a world lead for 2025, although the season is still in its infancy and the mark will likely be toppled. Nevertheless, it’s just another instance of the young athlete displaying his potential to become South Africa’s greatest sprinter. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walaza’s unorthodox running style has seen him draw comparisons to a galloping horse, and even a windmill, when he is in full stride. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“That is his survival mechanism,” Walaza’s coach, Thabo Matebedi, told Sunday Times of the starlet’s running style during the 2024 Olympic Games. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Other guys are coming for him. So, his brain says: ‘I need to survive this, I’m under pressure.’ If you change it, you are taking away his survival tool. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“So, we’re not going to change that. He’s running fast in that style. You can’t fix something that is not broken,” Matebedi said.</span>\r\n<h4><strong>No stopping him</strong></h4>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2635694\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TL_2372590.jpg\" alt=\"Bayanda Walaza kneels next to a clock showing 9.99 seconds.\" width=\"1990\" height=\"995\" /> <em>Bayanda Walaza has become only the ninth South African to run the 100m in under 10 seconds. (Photo: Cecilia van Bers / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2635695\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TL_2372591.jpg\" alt=\"Bayanda Walaza in a white shirt runs in a race\" width=\"1163\" height=\"1713\" /> <em>His running style has been compared to a galloping horse or a windmill, but Bayanda Walaza and his coach have no plans to change it. (Photo: Cecilia van Bers / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite constant questions about his form, it seems there is no stopping Walaza as he attempts to build on his outstanding 2024 season.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The teenager played a pivotal part as South Africa clinched silver during the 100m relay race at the Paris 2024 Olympics – a result which handed veteran Akani Simbine his first medal at the Games, after years of near-misses. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was a team effort, but Walaza showed his individual quality just a couple of weeks after Paris when he did the double at the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Peru. The teenage sensation – who hails from Katlehong, Gauteng – won both the 100m and 200m titles. His latest achievement on home soil further underlines his quality.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the back of his amazing 2024 – during which he was also doing his matric at Curro Hazeldean – Walaza was hunted down by some US colleges. He turned them down to maintain his partnership with Matebedi and remain close to home. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now he is enrolled at TUT, where he is studying towards a Supply Chain Management qualification. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“TUT is not just a university. It is a community of champions. I’m excited to be part of an environment that values academic and athletic excellence. I am determined to move from good to great in both,” Walaza said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on his heroics at Pilditch Stadium, Walaza is on track to fulfilling his goals. The teenager’s eyes are firmly on the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, which take place on 13–21 September. </span><b>DM</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>",
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Bayanda Walaza has become only the ninth South African to run the 100m in under 10 seconds. (Photo: Cecilia van Bers / Gallo Images)
His running style has been compared to a galloping horse or a windmill, but Bayanda Walaza and his coach have no plans to change it. (Photo: Cecilia van Bers / Gallo Images)