For years, Noah Lyles has reigned supreme in the sprints, but his fiercest challenger, Letsile Tebogo, who won the Olympic 200m gold in Paris has been right on his heels. However, even the fastest must face setbacks. Just days ago, at the AGN Championships in Pretoria, South Africa, Tebogo was dealt a humbling blow—not by Lyles, but by a rising teenage sensation. A young sprinter stormed past expectations, proving that the next generation isn’t just coming; they’ve arrived.

That teenage phenom? Bayanda Walaza. After stunning the world with his record-breaking 9.99-second 100m at the AGN Championships, the 19-year-old South African wasted no time in making history again. At the ASA Grand Prix, Walaza shattered yet another record with a jaw-dropping performance, further cementing his place as one of the brightest young stars in track and field. In a sport where speed is everything, Walaza isn’t just keeping up. He’s redefining what’s possible.

Clocking a blistering 20.08 seconds (+0.8) in the men’s 200m, the 19-year-old South African shattered the national U20 record, etching his name into history yet again. Track & Field Gazette took to X to capture the moment, posting, “20.08s!!🔥 National U20 Record ☑️ Bayanda Walaza 🇿🇦 has just broken the South African U20 Record at the ASA Grand Prix, winning the men’s 200m.”

The previous record? A 20.10 set by Clarence Munyai in 2017. But Walaza wasn’t interested in matching history. He was here to rewrite it. Behind him, Lucky Moleyane clocked 20.36 seconds to secure second place, but all eyes were on the teenager who has taken the sprinting world by storm.

This performance wasn’t a fluke; it was the latest chapter in a breakout season that has been impossible to ignore. Just last year, Walaza dominated the World Athletics U20 Championships, pulling off the rare sprint double. At just 18, he stormed to gold in the 100m with a stunning 10.19-second finish. But as he crossed the line, there wasn’t a roaring crowd. Just silence! A future superstar had arrived, but the world wasn’t paying attention. Undeterred, he returned for the 4x100m relay, leading South Africa to silver, nearly matching Akani Simbine’s Paris Olympics feat.

Now, after back-to-back record-breaking performances in 2025, the question isn’t if Walaza belongs among the world’s best. It’s how much faster he can go. If he keeps this pace, he won’t just be rewriting records. He’ll be carrying the legacy of South African sprinting into a whole new era. With every race, he’s proving that South Africa’s sprinting future is already here.

Bayanda Walaza: The future of South African sprinting is here

The men’s 100m final at the Paris Olympics was one for the history books. Noah Lyles edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a razor-thin finish, both clocking 9.79 seconds, separated by just five one-thousandths of a second. It was the closest 1-2 finish since the 1980 Olympics. South Africa’s Akani Simbine wasn’t far behind, finishing fourth in a blistering 9.82 seconds, just missing out on an individual medal. But South Africa wouldn’t leave Paris empty-handed. Days later, Simbine, alongside rising star Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, and Bradley Nkoana, delivered a breathtaking performance in the men’s 4x100m relay, securing silver and putting South Africa back on the Olympic sprinting podium.

Since that unforgettable night in Paris, Walaza has been on an unstoppable rise. The 19-year-old has taken the sprinting world by storm, proving that his Olympic medal was just the beginning. Not only did he break South Africa’s national U20 record, but he also became the first sprinter in 2025 to dip under 10 seconds. In doing so, he shaved 0.04 seconds off the previous record set by his own relay teammate, Bradley Nkoana. The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) student had already turned heads with his early-season performances, clocking 6.58 seconds in the 60 m and 20.63 seconds in the 200 m.

With those times, he officially became the fifth-fastest junior in history over 100 meters. But what makes Walaza’s rise even more special is how seamlessly he has transitioned from a junior standout to a serious senior contender. His breakout year in 2024 saw him clinch the rare sprint double at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, winning both the 100m and 200m titles—becoming only the fourth sprinter in history to achieve this feat.

In the 200m final, he outpaced Australia’s own sprint sensation, Gout Gout, setting the stage for what could be one of the most exciting rivalries in years. But with back-to-back record-breaking performances in 2025, Walaza isn’t just battling his peers. He’s chasing history and if his recent form is any indication, the best is yet to come.