The 20-year-old clocked a personal best of 9.89 seconds in Slovakia to become the fourth-fastest South African over 100 metres.
Banská Bystrica, Slovakia (22 July 2026) – South African sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza has added another milestone to his rapidly growing career, dipping under the coveted 9.90-second mark for the first time.
The 20-year-old stormed to victory in the men’s 100m at an athletics meeting in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, stopping the clock in a blistering 9.89 seconds. The performance not only earned him a new personal best but also saw him break the meeting record.
Walaza crossed the line comfortably ahead of Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, who finished in 10.04 seconds, while Canadian Olympic star Andre De Grasse was third in 10.05.
The time also moves the Katlehong-born sprinter into elite company. Walaza is now the fourth-fastest South African in history over 100m, behind only Akani Simbine (9.82), Benjamin Richardson (9.86) and his training partner Gift Leotlela (9.87).
It’s another major step forward for one of South Africa’s brightest young athletics talents, who continues to build on the momentum from winning Olympic silver in the men’s 4x100m relay at Paris 2024.
The latest performance comes just weeks after Walaza equalled his previous personal best of 9.94 seconds to win at the Golden Spike Ostrava meeting, having recently returned to competition after a brief spell on the sidelines.
He’s already climbed into the South African record books, and there’s plenty of racing still ahead this season.
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