The Prodigy on the Track

Annabelle Fasuba, a 13-year-old sprinting sensation from Plymouth, is making waves in the athletics world with her record-breaking performances. Coached by Neal Edwards, Annabelle has already clocked the fastest 200m time for a British girl aged 15 or under since 1989, with a stunning 24.02 seconds. Her 100m personal best of 11.69 seconds is just a whisker away from the qualifying standard for the last Commonwealth Games, ranking her fifth among under-15 runners in Britain.

A Family Legacy

Annabelle's athletic prowess is no surprise given her family's illustrious history in the sport. Her father, Olusoji Fasuba, is a former World Indoor 60m champion and Olympic bronze medalist in the 4x100m relay. He also held the African record for the 100m with a time of 9.85 seconds until 2021. Her mother, Ngozi, was an international athlete who competed in the 4x400m relay at the Athens Olympics. "My husband was good, I was good, when my mother used to run she was very fast, so Annabelle being fast is not like it's a surprise," Ngozi said.

Early Signs of Greatness

Annabelle first realized her speed during her primary school sports days. "I first realized I was really quick when I was in year six and through primary school everyone was asking me why I was so fast," she recalled. Her father, who joined the Royal Navy in 2011, noted, "Looking at her training and what she's doing at the age of 12 or 13 compares to what I did then, I think she's braver than me."

Olympic Dreams

Annabelle has set her sights on the Olympics, aiming to compete in both the 100m and 200m events. "I'm hoping to go to the Olympics to run the 100m and 200m and hopefully win them," she said. Her younger sister is also showing promise, breaking records in her primary school. "The dream for her, and she's already told me this, is to get more medals than I've got," Olusoji added.

The Road Ahead

With only a year of serious training under her belt, Annabelle's potential is immense. Her coach emphasizes that much of their work has been technical, with no hard training or pushing her limits. "So a lot of the work we've done is just technical work, we haven't done any really hard training, we haven't pushed her, we haven't really stretched her that much, it's just been about technique," Edwards explained.

As Annabelle continues to train and compete, the athletics world eagerly watches this young prodigy, who may well be the next big star on the Olympic stage.