BRESCIA — South Africa’s next generation of sprinting stars announced their arrival on the European circuit in emphatic fashion on Sunday, capturing a brilliant double victory at the Grand Prix Brescia.
Teenage sensation Leendert Koekemoer shattered the South African national U20 400m record with a scintillating 44.52s triumph, while sprint phenom Bayanda Walaza dominated a world-class men’s 100m field to stop the clock in an effortless 10.00s.
Koekemoer Smashes SA U20 Record in 400m Stunner
Running out of Lane 1 at the Campo Atletica “Gabre Gabric”, 19-year-old Koekemoer delivered the performance of his career in the men’s 400m.
Clocking a blistering 44.52 seconds, Koekemoer took over four-tenths off his previous South African U20 record of 44.94s, which he had established earlier this year at the Akani Simbine Classic in Pretoria. The performance capped off a remarkable month for the youngster, following his world bronze medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and a solid 45.40s runner-up finish on the Continental Tour in India last week.
Koekemoer held off a stacked international field, edging the Netherlands’ Jonas Phijffers (44.61s) and Australia’s Reece Holder (44.63s). The race also saw Olympic veteran Vernon Norwood (USA) take fourth in 44.73s, while former Olympic champion Kirani James (GRN, 44.92s) and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (45.34s) finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Walaza Continues Rampant Winning Streak in the Short Sprint
Minutes after Koekemoer’s record run, Bayanda Walaza doubled South Africa’s gold tally with a commanding victory in the men’s 100m final.
Bursting out of Lane 3, Walaza powered through to clock a flat 10.00 seconds (-0.2 m/s), narrowly missing another sub-10 performance but comfortably dispatching an elite field. American duo Courtney Lindsey (10.09s) and gold, plus two-time world bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell (10.16s) claimed second and third, while South Africa’s Shaun Maswanganyi crossed in seventh with 10.33s.
The victory extends Walaza’s red-hot streak to four consecutive 100m wins, a run that includes blazing times of 9.94s, 10.05s, and a personal best 9.89s.
Eyes Turn to the Brussels Diamond League Finale
With the European one-day circuit drawing to a close, South African athletics shifts its full attention to the prestigious Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4–5.
The performances of Walaza and Koekemoer underline the immense depth rising through the national ranks, positioning both athletes as future mainstays on the global Diamond League circuit.
In Brussels, an elite five-athlete South African squad will chase Diamond Trophies, spearheaded by 200m standout Sinesipho Dambile, who arrives as the world leader following his 19.82s silver in Zurich, alongside Akani Simbine (100m), Gift Leotlela (100m), Zakithi Nene (400m), and Prudence Sekgodiso (800m).
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