A British teenager of Nigerian descent, Divine Iheme has officially become the fastest 100m sprinter in the world, shattering the previous record with a new time.
At just 14 years old, Divine sets a new standard by clocking an astonishing 10.30 seconds. This achievement makes him one of the most promising young athletes on the global stage.
Nicknamed ‘Lightning’ Divine, the young sprinter has been touted as a future track superstar after recording the UK’s best times for the 100m and 200m earlier this year in April.
In June, he surpassed his own best 100m time, finishing in 10.65 seconds. Although he has run even faster in the past, those performances were not eligible for the record books due to wind assistance.
However, his latest feat at Lee Valley this week will be forever etched in history.
A Family Legacy of Speed
Divine’s athletic prowess seems to run in the family. His mother, Nkiruku, and father, Innocent Iheme, were both successful athletes, representing Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Under the guidance of his mother as coach, Divine Iheme, who is based in Oxfordshire, studies footage of legendary sprinters to aid his impressive development.
Despite this, he insists that he doesn’t try to mimic their running styles.
“I’ve watched quite a lot of Usain Bolt’s races and Allyson Felix’s 200m, 400m, and relays,” Divine shared in an interview with Sky Sports.Â
“Probably the first race I watched was [Bolt’s] 200m world record, the 19.19, and I was inspired to pursue the dream. I try my best to slingshot off the bend [in 200m] and continue holding first until I cross the finish line.”
“In my opinion, I think my [running style] is unique and natural. I don’t try to model it from anyone. It’s just a God-given talent,” he added.
Representing Nigeria?
Despite his Nigerian heritage and the fact that both of his parents represented Nigeria at the international level, Divine has already made up his mind about which country he will represent on the track.
“Even though I’m from Nigeria, I was born here. I’ve had free education, free school meals.”
“Everyone here has been taking care of me, child support, all this stuff, so I feel like I’m going to run for Great Britain because they have helped me the most.”
Nonetheless, Nigeria shouldn’t miss out on trying to convince the teenager to represent his fatherland.
If you use the quotes from this content, you legally agree to give www.brila.net the News credit as the source and a backlink to our story. Copyright 2024 Brila Media.
A British teenager of Nigerian descent, Divine Iheme has officially become the fastest 100m sprinter in the world, shattering the previous record with a new time.
At just 14 years old, Divine sets a new standard by clocking an astonishing 10.30 seconds. This achievement makes him one of the most promising young athletes on the global stage.
Nicknamed ‘Lightning’ Divine, the young sprinter has been touted as a future track superstar after recording the UK’s best times for the 100m and 200m earlier this year in April.
In June, he surpassed his own best 100m time, finishing in 10.65 seconds. Although he has run even faster in the past, those performances were not eligible for the record books due to wind assistance.
However, his latest feat at Lee Valley this week will be forever etched in history.
A Family Legacy of Speed
Divine’s athletic prowess seems to run in the family. His mother, Nkiruku, and father, Innocent Iheme, were both successful athletes, representing Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Under the guidance of his mother as coach, Divine Iheme, who is based in Oxfordshire, studies footage of legendary sprinters to aid his impressive development.
Despite this, he insists that he doesn’t try to mimic their running styles.
“I’ve watched quite a lot of Usain Bolt’s races and Allyson Felix’s 200m, 400m, and relays,” Divine shared in an interview with Sky Sports.Â
“Probably the first race I watched was [Bolt’s] 200m world record, the 19.19, and I was inspired to pursue the dream. I try my best to slingshot off the bend [in 200m] and continue holding first until I cross the finish line.”
“In my opinion, I think my [running style] is unique and natural. I don’t try to model it from anyone. It’s just a God-given talent,” he added.
Representing Nigeria?
Despite his Nigerian heritage and the fact that both of his parents represented Nigeria at the international level, Divine has already made up his mind about which country he will represent on the track.
“Even though I’m from Nigeria, I was born here. I’ve had free education, free school meals.”
“Everyone here has been taking care of me, child support, all this stuff, so I feel like I’m going to run for Great Britain because they have helped me the most.”
Nonetheless, Nigeria shouldn’t miss out on trying to convince the teenager to represent his fatherland.
If you use the quotes from this content, you legally agree to give www.brila.net the News credit as the source and a backlink to our story. Copyright 2024 Brila Media.
