Divine Iheme might be a name everyone is talking about in the future; The British athlete has been compared to Noah Lyles after he broke world records in the 100m and 60m for his age group.
Last updated: 01/06/25 10:08 AM
15-year-old runner Devine Ayheim broke the 60-meter world record for his age group on Sunday in London.
Iheme, dubbed the new Noah Lyles, broke J-Mee Samuels' mark of 6.74 from 2003 twice, posting 6.71 and 6.72 in the next installment of the BFTTA Indoor Series.
He has already finished fourth in the UK under-18 60m world rankings, 0.02 off Mark Lewis Francis' record of 6.69 set in 1999.
Last year, Ehem ran 10.3 seconds in the 100 metres, which was almost one second faster than the best time set by Olympic champion Lyles at the same age, 14.
The teenager has shaved two tenths of a second, a huge margin in sprint racing, off the previous record and has a bright future ahead of him.
Speaking exclusively, Ehime said: “When I first saw it, I was in complete shock, I couldn’t believe it! I was jumping and running, I felt so happy but I couldn’t have done it without God.” on Sky Sports News.
“Noah Lyles is a great athlete and he gave me a lot of confidence to continue this career, run faster, and get a better time.
“I feel like it gives me the confidence to break more and more barriers during my journey.”
Please use Chrome browser for an easily accessible video player
Divine Iheme has discussed becoming the world's fastest 14-year-old after clocking a time of 10.3 in the 100m last year
Iheme reveals that he saw Bolt doing speed jogging
If you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best and that's exactly what Iheme does.
The young running star, nicknamed 'Lightning' for his speed, has studied his best ever and revealed watching Usain Bolt as a child reinforced his desire to become a world-class runner.
He is also believed to have a unique and inimitable running style, very similar to the Jamaican world record holder's running style.
“I watched a lot of Usain Bolt and Alison Felix races in the 200 meters, 400 meters and relays,” Ehem said. Sky Sports.
“Probably the first race I watched was[Bolt's]200m world record, which was 19.19 seconds, and I was inspired to follow the dream.
“I do my best to slingshot out of the corner (in the 200 metres) and hold on first until I cross the finish line.
“In my opinion, I think (my running style) is unique and natural. I'm not trying to copy it from anyone.”
Iheme is faster than Noah Lyles was at his age
Natural talent? Or in the genes?
Ehem said Sky Sports He has already committed to representing Great Britain even though his parents previously represented Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
His grandparents were runners, and his mother, Nkiruka Ano, and father, Innocent Ehime, were successful athletes, in their own right – his father competing in the 100m and long jump, and his mother competing in the 100m and 200m, like him.
Iheme believes he has a unique talent, but he is also grateful to his parents — especially his mother, who is his coach — for helping him make the most of his talent.
He added: “I say it is a talent that God gave me.” “But (it's also worth noting) that my parents who trained me helped me get there step by step – to be faster and train harder.
“The training has been really hard but it is paying off.”
