Born To Run!: Children of Former Nigerian Track Stars Rule at England Age-Group Championships
The opening day of the England Athletics Age-Group Championships in Sheffield produced historic performances from the children of former Nigerian sprint stars.
Sixteen-year-old Divine Ebubechukwu Iheme, son of Innocent Iheme, set a new European U18 indoor record in the 60m with a time of 6.68 seconds.
His run eclipsed the mark previously held by former world U20 champion Mark Lewis-Francis.
Divine went on to claim the U17 men’s title, confirming his status as one of the brightest prospects in European sprinting.
On the same day, Annabel Fasuba, daughter of former African 100m record holder and 2008 World Indoor champion Olusoji Fasuba, stormed to victory in the U17 women’s event.
Just 14 years old, she clocked 7.36 seconds to set a new championship record.
Both athletes have been tipped as stars in the making.
Like Annabel, Divine has consistently broken age-group records since 2024, when he won the English Schools 100m title and completed the sprint double at the indoor championships. He set a UK U14 record of 10.56 seconds for 100m and later ran a world U14 best of 10.30 seconds.
In 2025, he continued his rise by breaking the world best mark for a 15-year-old over 60m with times of 6.72 and 6.71 seconds.
He also set a British U18 best of 10.29 seconds in the 100m, which doubled as a European all-time best for his age category.
Now in 2026, Divine has opened the season with another record-breaking performance, while Annabel’s victory signals the emergence of another Fasuba on the international stage.
