South Africa Bayanda Walaza has emerged as the World Junior fastest man as he won the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championship in Lima on Wednesday, 28 August 2024 Sports247 reports.
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Though he only came in with the seventh-fastest personal best, Bayanda Walaza would not be denied in the men’s 100m final. The South African won gold in 10.19 (-0.9m/s) after a phenomenal start that took control of the competition in the first steps of the race.
Puripol Boonson of Thailand finished second in 10.22s, gaining the first ever medal for his nation at the World U20 Championships.
Walaza’s compatriot and pre-event favourite Bradley Nkoana snagged the bronze in 10.26. The podium placings bode well for the South African men’s 4x100m team in Lima, particularly as both Walaza and Nkoana formed part of their nation’s silver medal-winning team at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The men’s 100 m event used to be a launching for some of Nigeria’s sprinters of the past but unfortunately this year’s edition has no Nigerian feature in the final.
Isreal Sunday, the country’s best performer in the men’s 100 meter could only make the Semi final as he failed in his bid to qualify for the final earlier on Wednesday.
