‘Watch out Omanyala, I’m coming for you!’ South African teenage sprint sensation Walaza sets sights on Absa Kip Keino Classic victory
"But honestly, I don't line up to come second. I believe in my training, my team, and my God-given talent. I'm here to race fearlessly and have fun. If I execute my race, anything can happen."
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 28- South African sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza is still basking in the glow of winning a gold medal at the recent Guangzhou 2025 World Relays.
Having seen his 4x100m relay team qualify for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships in the process, Walaza is now focused on building momentum ahead of the global track and field showpiece in Japan.
Still a teenager, the Paris 2024 Olympics silver medallist has brought his precocious talent to Kenya for the sixth Absa Kip Keino Classic on Saturday (May 31).
And he is buzzing with expectation ahead of his debut at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event that will be the sixth running of this year's series.
The reigning double Lima 2024 World Under-20 sprint gold medallist will line-up in the blue riband men's 100m final— where an imposing field is fronted by two-time meet champion and African record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala, the local hero and favourite.
"Yo, I'm so pumped! I've been watching the Kip Keino Classic for a while and now I finally get to be part of it," Walaza told this website.
"Nairobi's energy is next level, and I'm just excited to experience that vibe, feel the crowd, and give it my all."
The 19-year-old might be thrilled at the prospect of competing in Nairobi's vibrant atmosphere, but he will face a partisan crowd on race day.
Despite the imposing presence of Africa's fastest man and two-time continental champion, Omanyala, the winner here in 2022 and 2023, Walaza only has eyes for the gold.
"I've got huge respect for Omanyala, he's a beast and a crowd legend," the South African rising sprints star admits.
"But honestly, I don't line up to come second. I believe in my training, my team, and my God-given talent. I'm here to race fearlessly and have fun. If I execute my race, anything can happen."
Walaza is already in Nairobi preparing for the showdown and has been training at the Ulinzi Sports Complex Stadium, the venue for this year's event.
The 10,000-seater military-owned facility is three times smaller in capacity compared to the Nyayo National Stadium that was the designated host of the event.
But repairs to Nyayo, as it prepares to host the second-tier continental football tournament, Africa Home Nations Championships in July, saw organisers switch the event to Ulinzi.
Nevertheless, Walaza and the other top international athletes who are already in Kenya, do not expect anything less than deafening decibels.
"I actually feed off the noise—even if it's not for me. It's all energy, and I turn it into fuel. But when I'm in the blocks, it's tunnel vision," he asserts.
Embracing the wobble
Walaza announced his arrival as a global sprint's contender at last year's Summer Games in France and his presence in Kenya has already created an online buzz.
He was part of South Africa's silver medal winning team before going on to claim double gold at the World Under 20 Championships in Peru a fortnight later.
Walaza's rich talent wasn't the only thing that made him standout.
His unique running style with distinctive flailing arm movement sets him apart from most sprinters and has earned him the nickname ‘wobble wobble', a label he has embraced with pride over time.
"Haha, yeah, "Wobble Wobble" has kinda stuck! At first, I wasn't sure how to feel, but now I wear it with pride. It's part of what makes me," the man who brings a 9.94s career best in the 100m to Nairobi chuckled.
As for the future, the South African isn't planning on changing his running style but it could evolve.
"I think there's always room to fine-tune things, you know? But I also don't wanna lose what makes me different. If something works, I just want to make it work better. So, it's more about refining than completely changing."
The teenager's running style isn't the only part of his race craft that continues to be refined.
"I think my start can get sharper, and there's always work to do on technique and strength," he says.
"But also, the mental side, learning how to stay locked in no matter what. I'm just staying hungry and focused, one step at a time."
Tokyo calling
After helping the Rainbow Nation bag the World Relays gold in China, Walaza continued his storming start to the season so far by dipping under 10.00 in Croatia.
He won the World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Zagreb with 9.94 seconds, breaking his own national under-20 record and setting a new lifetime best.
And he admits flying off the blocks has been ‘a crazy ride,' but he is quick to add the good results are priming him well for his much-anticipated World Championships debut in Japan in September.
"Every race is teaching me something, building me. The relays showed me what teamwork and trust can do, and breaking the record just reminds me I'm on the right path.
"Tokyo is a big stage, but I'm ready to learn, grow, and leave my mark," the South African remarked.
Looking beyond Saturday, Walaza and Australian phenom Gout Gout, who has been likened to sprint legend Usain Bolt of Jamaica, could face off at the biennial global track and field showpiece in Tokyo yet again— another mouth-watering prospect.
Walaza and Gout first raced each other at the Lima 2024 World Under 20 Championships in Peru with the South African coming out on top.
This year the teenagers have set impressive times and Walaza is relishing the chance to race Gout more.
"Definitely! Racing him pushes me to step up. It's a healthy rivalry, we're both young and hungry, and we're making each other better. I'm looking forward to lining up next to him again. Let's give the fans a show."
The balancing act
While he enjoys entertaining fans on the track, off it, Walaza is just as busy as he studies for his degree and has been juggling his budding career with education.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Walaza went from being a reserve in the South African relay team to winning silver behind Canada at the Stade de France.
Remarkably, it came as he was about to sit his final high school exams and has now admitted he had to carry his schoolwork to the Games.
The Tshwane University of Technology student admits it's a tough balancing act but he has ‘a great support system' to see it through.
‘It's not easy, but I've got my coach, my family, my mentors. I try to stay disciplined, plan my time well, and remind myself why I'm doing this.
"I want to be great on the track and in life, and school helps keep me grounded."
The double world under-20 champion's sense of being grounded was evident when he turned down offers from US colleges to study closer home.
"Yeah, that was a tough one, but I felt like South Africa is where I'm meant to build right now," Walaza reflects.
"Being close to my family and my coach, who knows me inside-out, it just felt right. And honestly, I want to show the world that you can build a world-class sprinting career right here at home," he explained further.
The decision to build his career in the Rainbow Nation follows in the footsteps of his role model, Akani Simbine.
The former African and Commonwealth champion anchored South Africa to silver in Paris last year before storming the last leg to gold in Guangzhou this year.
"Akani's been a big influence. He's shown me what it looks like to stay focused, stay humble, and still go hard," the runner says.
Besides Omanyala, the so-called ‘Beast from the East' by his adoring Kenyan fans, Walaza will also line-up against compatriot Shaun Maswanganyi who is also building a solid reputation as a quality sprinter.
Australia's Lachan Kennedy is also in the line-up and Waraza knows he has to be at his best to claim the coveted middle step of the podium.
-By Organisers
-Photos: Peter Njoroge
