The future of South African athletics was on full display at the ASA Grand Prix 2 meeting at the University of Johannesburg on Wednesday night when Bayanda Walaza and Tumi Ramokgopa set national Under-20 records on a cold, damp evening.
Teenage sensation Bayanda Walaza, who had clocked a world-leading 9.99 seconds in Pretoria a week earlier, turned his attention to the 200m where he raced to a 20.08 win, taking 0.02sec off the national U20 record of 20.10 set by Clarence Munyai in Tshwane in March 2017.
Walaza, the world under-20 champion in the 200m, finished clear of Lucky Moleyane who took second place in 20.36, while former World Championships finalist Luxolo Adams was third in 20.43.
The weather wasn’t great, but I believe when you’re fast you don’t have to complain about anything,” Walaza said afterwards. “You cannot control the weather so you just have to make it work for you, rather than doubting yourself.
“We were truly shocked about the sub-10 (last week) and we thought ‘let’s just see what strength I have left over’. We believed the 9.99 had taken everything, so we didn’t expect me to run this fast today.”
Even though she didn’t win her race, 17-year-old Ramokgopa was also in record-breaking form, taking second place in the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.22 and slicing 0.13 off the SA junior record of 13.35 set by Taylon Bieldt in Bydgoszcz in July 2016. National senior record holder Marione Fourie won in 12.69, setting a season’s best.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m in disbelief,” said Ramokgopa, who set a 400m hurdles personal best of 56.48 earlier. “I knew running against Marione was going to push me to run an SA record, but I didn’t think I would run this fast. This means a lot to break the record in my first year as a junior.”
Among other highlights, world junior champion Udeme Okon won the men’s 400m in a personal best 45.27, holding off a challenge from Olympic semi-finalist Lythe Pillay, who took the runner-up spot in 45.74.
African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya won the men’s 100m in 10.08, while Ketlhobogile Haungura of Botswana took the 800m in 1:43.88. Wernich van Rensburg triumphed in the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.24, while Nikithemba Hani produced the highlight in the field events, landing at 8.01m to win the men’s long jump.
