Paris 2024 Olympian and South African star athlete Bayanda Walaza sprinted to the men’s 100m title to give the country its third gold medal at the World University Games in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday night.
According to the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the flying South African and world junior champion crossed the line in 10.16 seconds, edging Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.22), the same rival he beat at last year’s under-20 global competition in Peru. Asian champion Hiroki Yanagita finished third, just 0.01 seconds behind Boonson.
“I feel glorified. I believe in winning. As soon as I was on that [start] line, I was looking at that finish line. My mind was there. I need to cross it before everyone,” said Walaza, who, at just 18, ran the leadoff leg in the men’s 4x100m relay final to help South Africa claim silver at Paris 2024.
Breaking and setting records
Walaza became just the ninth South African to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m when he clocked 9.94 in Zagreb in May. Weeks earlier, he set a national junior record of 20.08 in the 200m
The FISU World University Games 2025, one of the world’s largest multi-sport events, have are taking place in Germany from 16 to 27 July across five cities in the Rhine-Ruhr region – Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Hagen, and Mulheim an der Ruhr – as well as the capital, Berlin.
Approximately 8,500 athletes from over 150 nations are competing for medals in 18 sports. The basic requirement for participation is that the athletes are enrolled at a university. This international multi-sport event is organised for university athletes by FISU.
