It’s not often that a teenager earns a nickname like ‘Lightning,’ but Divine Iheme is no ordinary young athlete. At just 15 years old, Iheme is already rewriting sprinting records, clocking times that surpass legends like Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles at the same age.
Last August, a then 14-year-old Iheme stunned the athletics world by running 100 meters in 10.30 seconds, shattering the previous age-group record of 10.51 seconds held by Jamaica’s Sachin Dennis. For context, Lyles recorded 11.27 seconds at that age, while Bolt managed 10.57. Remarkably, Iheme’s time would have earned him a bronze medal at last year’s British men’s 100m championship.
Continuing his record-breaking spree, Iheme set a new 60m indoor record last month with a blistering 6.71 seconds, breaking the 23-year-old mark held by the USA’s J-Mee Samuels.
Athletics runs in Iheme’s blood. His parents, Nkiruka and Innocent, both represented Nigeria at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Coached by his mother, who runs the PWD Athletics Academy in Oxfordshire, Iheme is guided by discipline and determination.
Reflecting on his journey, Iheme recalled his first sub-11-second run at age 13, clocking 10.86 seconds. “I’ve just been working and working,” he said. Nkiruka enforces a strict regimen, emphasizing that missing homework means no training, often reminding him, “No pain, no gain.”
Iheme’s dominance started in school sports days, winning sprints effortlessly, though he disliked longer distances. His passion for athletics grew, leading to his record-breaking moment at Lee Valley. Recalling that day, he said, “When I saw 10.3, I started screaming. The commentator went crazy. It was amazing.”
While his mother celebrated from Nigeria, she remains focused on keeping him grounded, saying, “He’s not in competition with anyone; he’s just enjoying his training. No pressure, just progress.”
As Iheme’s popularity grows among peers, he remains humble, with friends often saying, “I can’t believe I’m friends with a world record holder.” With his talent and determination, Divine ‘Lightning’ Iheme is undoubtedly a future star with a world of possibilities ahead.
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