Team South Africa of Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine, celebrates after finishing second in the men's 4x100m relay final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris Teenage sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza drew the biggest cheers from the crowd assembled at OR Tambo International on Tuesday, as Team SA returned home from the Paris Olympics. Photo: Andrej Isakovic/AFP
Olympic silver medalist Bayanda Walaza stole the show on Tuesday, when Team SA arrived back to a rapturous welcome at OR Tambo International airport.
The 18-year-old Walaza was clearly the biggest drawcard returning from the Paris Olympics, as huge numbers of school children gathered at the airport to catch a glimpse of the sprinter.
The Pretoria schoolboy will soon be turning his attention back to his matric prelims, but first, was more than happy to soak up the electric atmosphere, and give his adoring fans as much attention as he could afford.
Curro School in Pretoria, where Walaza is in grade 12, had learners arrive at the airport wearing their school attire as they cheered wildly to welcome back their now-famous sports star.
The crowd at OR Tambo Airport cheers for matric pupil and Olympic silver medalist Bayanda Walaza, who was one of the four sprinters who helped Team SA secure silver in the Men's 100 4x100 metre relay final.#Olympics2024 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/yIDt3kPSJf
— IOL News (@IOL) August 13, 2024
Walaza was part of the men’s 4x100m relay team which claimed silver at the Paris Olympics. Walaza did his part in the relay team alongside Akani Simbine, Shaun Maswanganyi and Bradley Nkoana.
Earlier, the crowd cheered loudly for Tatjana Smith as she was the first Team SA athlete to walk into the arrival halls.
Smith was first greeted by SA minister of sport Gayton McKenzie before she proudly displayed her gold medal with her signature broad smile to the crowd while wrapping herself in a South Africa flag.
Smith, 27, won gold and silver in the women’s 100m and 200m breaststroke respectively to become South Africa’s most decorated Olympian with four medals.
A huge cheer went up earlier when @OfficialTeamRSA 's most decorated Olympian @TRSchoenmaker made her entrance at @ortambo_int as she was welcomed back by minister @GaytonMcK and the swimmer's adoring fans.@IOL @IOLsport #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Id0YbQI3Hs
— Michael Sherman (@Golfhackno1) August 13, 2024
McKenzie, meanwhile, said he was proud of the accomplishments of Team SA after they doubled their medal tally from the Tokyo Olympics to six in Paris.
He also said that under his watch, he would ensure that no athlete would have to fund themselves in pursuit of their Olympic dream. This comes after Jo-Ane van Dyk confirmed that she had to rely on herself and her parents to fund her Olympic pursuit. Van Dyk was one of the stars of Team SA, with a silver in the women’s javelin.