Bradley Nkoana (left) and Bayanda Walaza have added World Athletics U-20 Championships medals to their Olympic relay medals. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Fresh off their medal-winning performance at the Paris Olympics, junior sprinters Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana returned to the podium at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in Peru in the early hours of Thursday morning (SA time).
Walaza and Nkoana, who formed part of the SA 4x100m relay team that earned silver at the Paris Games earlier this month, lived up to the hype after qualifying among the favourites for the men’s 100m final at the age group showpiece.
Matric student Walaza won gold in 10.19 seconds and national junior record holder Nkoana grabbed bronze in 10.26. They were separated by Pooripol Boonson of Thailand who snatched silver in 10.22.
In the women’s 100m final, Viwe Jingqi took fifth place in 11.57, improving on her sixth-place finish at the previous edition of the World U-20 Championships in Cali in 2022.
“At this point it feels great to be Walaza. I have mixed emotions – excited, happy, there’s a lot. This is a true moment,” Walaza said afterwards.
Walaza will compete again in the 200m event in Peru, with the heats being held on Thursday, and he will join Nkoana in the 4x100m relay event later in the week.
The SA team were lying third in the overall table with three medals (one gold, one silver and one bronze) after two days of competition at the global junior championships.
Aside from Walaza and Nkoana, JL van Rensburg earned silver in the men’s shot put on day one with a personal best heave of 20.74 metres.
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