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The teenager is now fourth on the UK U18 60m rankings after breaking a 20-year-old world age group record.
British teenager Divine Iheme has stunned the athletics world with his record-breaking performances at the BFTTA Indoor Series in London, setting a new world age 15 best in the 60m sprint on January 5.
Iheme, who had already clocked an impressive 6.76 last month, surpassed American J-Mee Samuels’ long-standing mark of 6.74, set in 2003, not once but twice in one day.
Competing at Lee Valley, the young sprinter first recorded a blistering time of 6.72 before shaving another hundredth of a second off in his next race with 6.71.
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The performances place him fourth on the UK under-18 all-time rankings for the 60m, just 0.02 seconds shy of Mark Lewis-Francis’ record of 6.69, set in 1999.
"When I first saw it, I was in utter shock, I couldn't believe it!" Iheme told Sky Sports News in September last year.
"I was jumping about, running around, I just felt so happy but I couldn't have done it without God."
Last summer, he made international headlines by running 10.30 in the 100m at age 14, a world best for his age group.
This feat also placed him third on the European U18 all-time rankings, trailing only Teddy Wilson (10.26) of Great Britain and Jeff Erius (10.27) of France.
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Iheme credits much of his success to his family’s strong athletic background.
Both his parents, Nkiruka Anu and Innocent Iheme, represented Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and his grandparents were also runners.
Despite his Nigerian heritage, Iheme has already committed to representing Great Britain on the international stage.
"I'd say it's a God-given talent to me," he said in the same interview four months ago.
"But [it's] also [worth mentioning], my parents who've coached, helped me get there step-by-step – get quicker, train harder. Training has been really hard but it pays off."
Iheme’s mother, Nkiruka, is also his coach and the founder of the PWD Athletic Academy in Oxfordshire, which aims to nurture young athletic talent.
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The teenager praised his mother’s dedication, saying her guidance has been instrumental in his journey to becoming a world-class sprinter.
Inspired by legends like Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix, Iheme has studied their races to refine his own technique.
"I've watched quite a lot of Usain Bolt's races and Allyson Felix's 200m, 400m and relays," he said.
"Probably the first race I watched, was his [Bolt's] 200m world record, the 19.19, and I was inspired to pursue the dream."
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Despite drawing inspiration from these icons, Iheme believes his running style is uniquely his own.
"In my opinion, I think my [running style] is unique and natural. I don't try to model it from anyone," he said.
"Lightning Divine" is just getting started, but his name is already etched in the record books, and his journey is one to watch as he continues to break barriers and redefine the limits of youth athletics.
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