The British Sprinter Who Was Faster Than Lyles And Gout At 14

When Divine Iheme ran nan 100m successful 10.3 seconds arsenic a 14-year-old past summer, it was a world grounds for that age.

To put that clip successful context, Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles' individual champion astatine nan aforesaid property was astir 1 2nd slower, while Australian sprint prodigy Gout Gout clocked 10.57.

A twelvemonth on, Iheme holds nan 60m indoor world grounds for 15-year-olds, which he group successful January.

But he has overmuch higher ambitions.

"I tin spot myself pinch an Olympic title to my sanction successful nan 100 and nan 200, and hopefully it will happen," says Iheme, who is nicknamed 'Lightning'.

Born successful Oxford arsenic nan 3rd boy of 2 Nigerian erstwhile world sprinters, Iheme was calved to tally accelerated - and his mum spotted it early on.

"I knew erstwhile he was successful my tummy," says Nkiruka Divine, who is not conscionable his mum - but besides his coach. "When I was pregnant, he kept connected kicking.

"I americium an athlete, his dada and my dada [were athletes]. When he entered superior school, that's erstwhile we yet said: 'Yes, we sewage a talent present we person to nurture.'"

Iheme is competing this play astatine nan English Schools Athletics Championships, wherever he is targeting much success.

Having initially tried gymnastics, Divine turned to athletics erstwhile he was 7 years aged - and soon noticed he was different from his peers.

"In nan 75m title successful superior school, location would ever beryllium this large gap," he says.

"I'd ever look backmost saying: 'Did I tally that?' It felt benignant of weird to me."

Having tally for nosy alongside different sports, things became much superior aft he impressed astatine nan English Schools Athletics Championships successful 2023.

"I was 13 and won [the 100m] successful 11.7 seconds," he said. "I was like: 'This is what I want to do.'"

After competing astatine nan 2002 Commonwealth Games successful Manchester, Nkiruka served for 9 years successful nan British Army, which she says influenced her arsenic a coach.

Aware of Divine's potential, she and her hubby Innocent founded nan PWD Athletics Academy successful Oxford, wherever their boy trains 4 times a week.

"It's tough, very tough. I can't flight immoderate sessions," nan teen says, smiling.

"He knows that erstwhile we participate nan track, I don't look astatine him arsenic my son," Nkiruka says.

"I person to get down to business, truthful I return disconnected motherhood and bring successful nan coach."

"She knows maine much than anyone because I'm her son," Divine chips in.

"She knows really to critique maine well; which bits I'm stronger astatine and which bits I'm weaker astatine truthful it's really good.

"Her training is what sewage maine those 2 records."

Iheme says he grew up watching videos of Usain Bolt's record-breaking performances complete 200m astatine nan World Championships successful Berlin, admires Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, and has been pursuing intimately nan times posted by Gout.

"He's doing great. I saw his recent 20.2, and I was really happy for him," he said.

Iheme and Gout whitethorn 1 time spell caput to caput for athletics' biggest prizes, but for now nan Briton is focused solely connected self-improvement.

"I'm hoping to tally a PB of 10.2 aliases moreover lower," he says.

"And I'm aiming to get my 200m down much, overmuch quicker. Sub-21."

Despite his evident talent, Iheme remains what galore would respect arsenic a emblematic teenager.

"I for illustration to watch Netflix. I emotion binge watching," he says.

The value of remaining grounded can't beryllium overstated. The athletics world is littered pinch countless examples of talented juniors who ne'er transitioned to top-level seniors.

"Many of america who person been successful athletics for a agelong clip understand that it's a marathon," says 2010 world indoor champion Dwain Chambers.

"It's astir school nan athletes skills connected and disconnected nan track… it's a lawsuit of nurturing astatine nan correct time."