Fasuba’s Daughter Annabelle Delivers Double at Lee Valley, Storms to 200m Season’s Best
Annabelle Fasuba, daughter of former Nigerian sprint star Olusoji Fasuba, continued her impressive development as a young sprinter by completing a 100m and 200m double at Lee Valley, winning the longer sprint in a season’s best 23.87 seconds.
The performance was particularly significant after a frustrating campaign over 200m. Despite winning the English Schools title and taking silver at SIAB, Annabelle had struggled to produce the times expected of her, even as her 100m performances improved considerably.
Rather than continue chasing performances that were not coming, her coach Karen Neal Callaghan Edwards and her family took a step back, putting the 200m aside for a month and reassessing her race execution and tactics.
That approach paid dividends on a wet Lee Valley track as Annabelle trusted the race plan and produced the best 200m performance of her season.
Her 23.87 was a significant improvement on her previous 2026 best of 24.04 and moved her much closer to the 23.72 legal personal best she established in 2025. She also owns a wind-assisted 23.47 from August 2025.
Her day had started with victory in the 100m, where she defeated a strong field despite swirling winds, intermittent heavy rain and a saturated track.
Annabelle entered the race as the second-fastest athlete on paper but emerged as the winner, underlining her ability to compete rather than simply chase times when conditions are difficult.
Her maturity was also evident after the 100m when she was asked whether she wanted to run another 100m. Her response was revealing: ‘I did my execution well in that race. There’s nothing more to prove. Time to focus on the 200m.’
That mindset appeared to serve her well in the 200m, where she followed the plan and delivered when it mattered.
A significant moment before the 200m came when Annabelle met British Olympian Adam Gemili, who took time to speak with the young sprinter about race tactics and the realities of life as a professional athlete.
Much of Gemili’s advice mirrored the tactical work she had already undertaken with her coach and family, providing an additional confidence boost before the race.
Annabelle’s progress is particularly intriguing given her sprinting pedigree.
Her father, Olusoji Fasuba, was one of Africa’s outstanding sprinters, holding the Nigerian 100m record for two decades and becoming the first and only African athlete to win the African Championships 100m title three consecutive times. He was also the 2008 World Indoor champion over 60m and part of Nigeria’s 2004 Olympic 4x100m bronze medal-winning team.
Annabelle is now beginning to establish her own identity on the track. Her 100m progression has been particularly notable, improving from 12.03 in 2024 to 11.51 in 2025 and a wind-assisted 11.45 in July 2026, while her latest 23.87 represents another important step in her development over 200m.
