At just 13 years old, Annabelle Fasuba, daughter of former Nigerian sprinter Olusoji Fasuba, is already making a name for herself on British tracks by breaking records in the U15 category. With outstanding indoor performances and promising early results at the senior level, the young prodigy seems to be following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom left a lasting mark on Nigerian athletics.
An Exceptional Sporting Heritage
Much like Divine Iheme, a rising star in British athletics whose parents were elite Nigerian athletes, sports especially athletics hold great significance in the Fasuba family. Annabelle’s father, Olusoji Fasuba, is a legend of African sprinting. He held the African 100m record (9.85 seconds) from 2006 until 2021, was crowned African champion in 2004, and won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2004 Athens Games. Her mother, Ngozi Nwokocha, was also a top-level athlete, specializing in the 400m and representing Nigeria internationally. This dual heritage partly explains Annabelle’s natural talent and competitive mindset, which have already made her one of the brightest prospects in British athletics.
Exceptional Times for Her Age
On December 29, Annabelle secured her first senior title at the Sutcliffe Indoor 60’s and 60m hurdles competition in London. Despite her young age, she dominated a race against U23 athletes, winning her heat in 7.61 seconds before clinching victory in the final with a time of 7.65 seconds.
Her father, Olusoji Fasuba, expressed his pride on social media: “At just 13 years old, Annabelle has achieved something remarkable. Her time of 7.61 seconds will set a new UK record and place her at the top of the U15 sprinters’ rankings for the 2025 season. An extraordinary way to start the year.”
Once ratified, her 7.61-second run will become the new indoor club record across three age groups: U15 (previous record: 8.11 seconds), U17, and U20 (previous records: 7.90 seconds). In terms of national records, Annabelle now leads the all-time U13 rankings, lowering Debbie Bunn’s previous mark by 0.19 seconds. The U17 record, held by Asha Philip, stands at 7.35 seconds just 0.26 seconds faster. Given Fasuba’s talent and speed at such a young age, this record could soon fall.
This is far from Annabelle’s first achievement. In May, she had already made headlines by breaking two British U15 records in the 100m and 200m within the span of a week. At the Devon County AA Championships, she set two new marks: 12.11 seconds in the 100m, just 0.02 seconds off her personal best, and 25.02 seconds in the 200m, which was also a championship record and the fastest time of the day across all age groups.
When a 13-year-old can challenge and even beat senior athletes, she becomes one to watch closely. Annabelle Fasuba’s name could very well appear on the world’s biggest stages within the next five to ten years.
