Should Walaza Go to the World Championships?

The biggest question in South African athletics at the moment: Will sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza be ready to compete at the World Championships?

- Wesley Botton

After pulling up at the Diamond League final in Zurich last week with a hamstring injury, South African athletics fans breathed a collective sigh of frustration.

And while his team issued a statement this week insisting he would be ready to go, Athletics South Africa later revealed Walaza would need to pass a fitness test to seal his place in the final team for the global showpiece starting in Tokyo next weekend, so his participation in the Japanese capital is still in doubt.

Walaza qualified for the World Championships after shattering the national junior record by breaking the 10-second barrier this year, and it might seem fair to suggest that he should be allowed to line up regardless of whether he is ready to shine.