Teen sprint sensation Walaza turns down US offers

Zaahier Adams

South African teenage sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza is not planning to join his Olympic relay teammate Shaun Maswangani in the US to further his career next year.

Walaza received a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International yesterday upon his return after winning the sprint double at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru.

The 18-year-old is currently preparing to complete his matric preliminary exams at Curro Hazeldean High School, but has already received plenty of bursary offers from the US.

Maswanganyi, who won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay with Walaza at the Paris Olympics, is at Houston State University where he is coached by American track and field legend Carl Lewis. But Walaza feels that he will be better served staying in South Africa where he will study logistics at Tuks University in Pretoria next year.

“I’ve got a lot of offers (from US colleges), like I think three or four varsities, but I told them ‘ja, I’ll stay here’,” Walaza said.

A major part of the decision to remain at home is because Walaza wants to continue his working relationship with local sprint coach Thabo “Coach T” Matebedi.

“I’m not going to change any coaches because that can cause a lot of difficulties and all of that,” said Walaza.

“So, it’s better to deal with the coach that is working for me because he made me get two gold medals. He made me get silver at the Olympics so why must I must leave him?”

Matebedi has been influential in moulding Walaza's fledgling career, particularly in not making any technical changes to his unique running style.

“I’ve heard a lot of comments. So my coach told me as long as it’s working for me, I might as well just stay doing it because if I change it, who might know?

“I might look nice running, but I might not be the winner that I am right now with this running style I have. So, it’s better to work with what you have. Me and my coach are working on what we have. If my running style is like this, it’s better to make it effective than changing it.”

Let's welcome home our world champion Bayanda Walaza!! @IOL @IOLsport @GaytonMcK pic.twitter.com/9htZuvmcLp

— Zaahier Adams (@ZaahierAdams) September 3, 2024

The duo worked hard on getting Walaza to burst out of the blocks after a few sluggish starts at the beginning of the year.

“For now, (matric) it’s causing a lot of stress, but I know I’m going to catch up. I have the facilities to do that and I have teachers who are supporting me, as well as family and friends, so I think it will go very well.”

Walaza admitted that his start only came together in Paris.

“We had to work for the whole year to perfect that start, and it went perfect at the right time because I would say [until then] it was not going the way we wanted it,” he said.

“At Paris, that’s when it started working ... I think that was also the reason I won because I was leaving them in the start,” he said with a smile.

Walaza won the 100m and 200m crowns at the age-group competition in Lima last week The teenager now has to switch focus back to his studies with a geography exam next week.

He admits that it’s stressful, but is confident he will pull through.

“For now it’s causing a lot of stress, but I know I’m going to catch up. I have the facilities to do that and I have teachers who are supporting me, as well as family and friends, so I think it will go very well,” Walaza said.