Bayanda Walaza is planning to compete at the world championships after all, his agent announced late on Tuesday afternoon.
The 19-year-old prodigy, the reigning double under-20 world champion and World Student Games champion, is scheduled to compete in the 100m heats on the opening day of the global showpiece in Tokyo next Saturday.
“Walaza has undergone extensive assessment by his medical team,” Newton Sports Agency said in a statement. “After careful evaluation and consultation with relevant parties, the decision has been made that he will be fully fit to participate in the upcoming world championships.”
Walaza was leading in the 100m race at the final Diamond League meet in Zurich on Thursday last week when he pulled up late in the race, his hand reaching for his left hamstring.
“Walaza has resumed his rehabilitation and preparations under close medical and coaching supervision. This decision reflects the commitment of his support team and his own determination to represent South Africa at the highest level, and the team remains confident in his ability to deliver strong performances on the world stage.”
The news is a boost for the South African team, which is looking to win its first world championship silverware since the 2017 edition in London, after leaving empty-handed from Doha 2019, Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023.
While Walaza’s not considered a real prospect for an individual medal, he’s an integral part of the men’s 4x100m relay team, having been part of the outfits that won Olympic silver at Paris 2024 and gold at World Relays in China earlier this year.
The 37.61sec clocked by the South African quartet of Walaza, Akani Simbine, Bradley Nkoana and Sinesipho Dambile in May remains the fastest 4x100m time in the world this year.
Apart from the men’s 4x100m team, South Africa’s medals prospects are Simbine in the 100m, Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ane du Plessis in the women’s javelin, Zakithi Nene in the 400m and the men’s 4x400m team.
Walaza’s burst onto the South African sprinting scene has been nothing less than explosive, starting with his second place behind seasoned veteran Simbine at the 2024 national championships as a matric pupil.
That earned him a spot on the South African relay team and he helped them qualify for the Paris Olympics, where he was picked as a relay reserve.
He wasn’t expected to participate until three days before the relay heats when Benjamin Richardson injured his hamstring in the opening round of the 200m.
And neither Walaza nor South Africa has looked back since.
In a short space of time Walaza developed one of the best starts in the world, making the first leg of the relay his, just as Simbine owns the final anchor leg.
He’s won medals on almost every stage, but Japan offers him the chance to pick up a world championship gong to add to his already impressive trophy cabinet — and he’s not even 20.
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