In the world of sprinting, Usain Bolt is synonymous with dominance. However, in recent years, American sprinter Noah Lyles has emerged as a worthy successor to the legendary Jamaican. He captured global attention with his explosive speed. Lyles’ historic victory in the 100m at the Paris Olympics in 2024, clinched by an incredibly narrow margin of five-thousandths of a second, further solidified his status as a leading figure in sprinting.
With multiple World Championship golds and a promising future, Lyles is now focused on breaking the records set by Bolt, positioning himself as the new face of track and field.
Next Sprinting Superstar
As Lyles continues to elevate his career, that question on people’s minds continues to be asked: who next will be a sprinting prodigy? After all, people are already expecting 17-year-old Australian teenager Gout Gout, after breaking national records and striking comparisons with none other than the great Bolt himself.
Britain may have found their next young up-and-coming talent to raise the flag even higher on this world stage. Such is the case with Divine Iheme who, at a very tender age of 15, is already making waves that draw parallels to the likes of Lyles.
Divine Iheme’s athleticism is not humanly normal. Being only 15 years of age, the British sprinter has already set multiple records and left an indelible mark on the sprinting world. He, during the BFTTA Indoor Series, broke the age-group world record for 60 meters not once but twice, showing he is a really fast and great prospect. The performance has placed him among the UK’s top young sprinters as he now ranks fourth on the all-time UK U18 60m list.
6.76s!!! At FIFTEEN!! 🔥
Divine Iheme is INSANE!!The 15 year old runs a rapid 6.76s for 60m despite just being fifteen years of age.
He missed J-Mee Samuels’ Age-15 record by 0.02 – a record that’s been held for 21 years. pic.twitter.com/lX4KdV1tyy
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) December 8, 2024
Also, what Iheme achieved is so breathtaking that continues to amaze everyone in athletics. At just 14, Iheme did 100 metres in an astonishing time of 10.3 seconds – a speed only one second short of what Lyles achieved in his personal best record at this age. All such incredible things had many equating Iheme to the famous sprinter of the United States of America.
Though his sharp rise on the track has placed Divine Iheme alongside Noah Lyles, this young sprinter names Usain Bolt as his most important inspiration. Iheme has watched Bolt’s legendary races during his childhood days and was in awe of the way the Jamaican sprinter made his runs so perfectly. Notably, his record-breaking run of 200m in 19.19 seconds made Iheme fall for the sport.
10.30s!!!! 🔥 HE’S DONE IT!
Age 14 World Record ☑️Divine Iheme 🇬🇧 smashes the World Age 14 100m record as he clocks a blistering 10.30s (1.7) at Lee Valley.
The previous record was held by Sachin Dennis 🇯🇲 with 10.51s
10.30s at 14 YEARS OF AGE!! 🔥🤯🤯🤯😱 pic.twitter.com/skczO4Jcrh
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) August 26, 2024
“I have watched quite a lot of Usain Bolt’s races, and Allyson Felix’s 200m, 400m, and relays,” Iheme said in an interview with Sky Sports. “Probably the first race I watched was his 200m world record, the 19.19, and I was inspired to pursue the dream.”
In his personal style of running, Iheme embraced a distinct technique that he claimed to be a natural style reflecting who he is. As the world would view him for his outstanding speed in sprinting and tag along him as “Lightning,” Iheme maintained that he does not want to run as any other person, and in this respect, his technique alone gives him an advantage.
Family’s Rich Athletic Heritage
Divine Iheme’s passion for sprinting is deeply rooted in his family’s rich athletic legacy. His parents represented Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and his grandparents were also accomplished runners. Despite this strong Nigerian heritage, Iheme has set his sights on representing Britain, the country he calls home, on the international athletics stage.
“I believe my running form is distinctive and organic. I am not trying to pattern it off anybody,” Iheme said. His tale may become an account of how great athletes like himself allow for natural expressions of their personality into the playing arena and are ready to let them shine as sport’s greatest gift in defining tomorrow’s super stars.
Promising Sprinting Prospect For Iheme
Heeding comparisons to names like Noah Lyles and following in the mold of Usain Bolt, this young sprinter’s future can only be super bright. Considering these achievements at the tender age at which he does them, his possible development into a sporting force to reckoned with, at least within athletics, within the next ten years is already staring at the eye. As such, the race world will likely be watching carefully, as Iheme continues to work on his trade.
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