Olympic Silver for Curro Hazeldean’s Bayanda Walaza

Bayanda Walaza, a Grade 12 learner at Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria, has won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics as part of the South African team in the 4 x 100 metres relay.

The South African team of Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine finished second in a time of 37.57 – a new African Record. Canada won gold with a time of 37.50, while Great Britain claimed bronze in 37.61.

It is South Africa’s first ever medal in a relay event at the Olympics.

Walaza, who turned 18 in February this year, ran the first leg of the relay in a time of 10.41, the 4th fastest time for that section.

He then handed the baton over to Shaun Maswanganyi, a 23-year-old St Alban’s College alumni, who ran his leg in 9.06 – the 7th fastest section time.

South Africa slipped to 5th at this point.

The third leg was run by Bradley Nkoana a 19-year-old former student at Potchefstroom Boys High, in the 6th fastest time of 9.32.

South Africa remained in 5th place.

After missing out on a medal by a millisecond in the 100-metre final, Akani Simbine (Edenglen High School) was determined not to be denied again. The 30-year-old 3-time Olympian ran the final leg in a blistering 8.78, the fastest for that section, to push South Africa up to second place.

Walaza, who was born in Kathlehong on the East Rand but attends Curro Hazeldean on a scholarship, is the first South African to appear at the Olympics while still enrolled at school and is now the first pupil to win an Olympic medal.

Earlier this year he became one of the fastest teenagers in the world for 2024 when he ran the 100 metres in 10.13 and the 200 metres in 20.34 at the South African Junior Championships in Pretoria.

Walaza will compete at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru from 27 to 31 August.