'It Hurts' - Bayanda Walaza Opens Up on Pressure to Match the Flawless Running Style of Noah Lyles & Co

Double world under-20 champion Bayanda Walaza has shared his honest feelings about people making fun of his unorthodox running style and comparing him to the likes of Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine, Kishane Thompson and other accomplished sprinters.

Bayanda Walaza’s running style has earned him the ‘Wobble Wobble’ nickname. His style is described as being akin to a windmill as he powers towards the line, with his arms flailing once he is out of the driving phase, usually after 60-70m.

The style is sometimes likened to a galloping horse and includes a visible head bob. Despite its unconventional appearance, the style is effective, as Bayanda Walaza has achieved significant success, including running under 10 seconds in the 100m.

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The Paris Olympic Games 4x100m relay silver medallist explained that being compared to runners who have already figured themselves out sometimes makes him feel bad.

However, he believes that as time goes by, he will find a suitable running style, but insists that he does not mind changing the style, as it makes him famous and has won him a series of competitions.

Bayanda Walaza added that at the moment, people have identified him through his unique running style, and since he enjoys the fame, he will not put himself under pressure to perfect his running style.

“Truly speaking, it hurts, you know, because people usually speak badly. But what I've learned is that you need to use bad to be good. You need to use it for good, you know, because my running style is what I'm also focusing on changing,” Bayanda Walaza said on the Go Wild Podcast on Puma.

“You know, it's not what I'm proud of, but it is what makes me Bayanda Walaza because everyone notices me everywhere I go. So, I find this as a significant thing that people will see me with. It's like creating that image of if you see that running style, you know, it's him.

“Also, it's something that I believe will change as the years go by, you know, because I'm still young, I'm still finding my way into the sport. I don't know a lot about this sport, you know.”

Bayanda Walaza added that his coach, Thabo Matebedi, considers this unconventional technique to be his ‘survival mechanism’ and has expressed a reluctance to change it, believing it is integral to his performance.

He disclosed that the tactician is also afraid of the unknown, that if he forces the change, then Bayanda Walaza might struggle to produce results.

Bayanda Walaza pointed out that his coach is also confident that when the right time comes, his running style will change naturally.

“And also, my coach is one person who doesn't like forcing things because of. He's also scared because it's his first time having a pro athlete who is actually going and actually performing like this,” Bayanda Walaza added.

“He's also scared of trying to rush into things and actually messing things up because now we have a mentality of you feel like it's going to change as the years go by, because also my body will still grow, and then it will originally change on its own. But it's something that I'm proud of, and it's something that I cherish.”

Bayanda Walaza added that since he enjoys being in the limelight, he always tends to perform even when competing outside of South Africa to boost his fame.

The South African wunderkind explained that most sprinters tend to do well on home soil owing to the support they receive, and once they go to compete in Europe, for instance, they do not perform.

However, for Bayanda Walaza, he always wants to leave a mark whenever he steps on the track, and that is motivation enough for him to prove a point.

“So for me, it was like, okay, it's that time where I need to see how it is. But the difference in me is that I like to be known. As soon as I came to Europe, I was like, okay, as soon as I go back to South Africa, I'll go back, be known,” Bayanda Walaza added.

“So that's what pushed me to like, okay, I'll come here and I'll do my best whether people are watching or not. But at the end of the day, when I leave the track, they'll be like it was that young boy who won. That was my mentality.”

Bayanda Walaza suffered an injury setback and was forced to withdraw from the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and he will be looking to bounce back stronger in 2026.