Annabelle Fasuba: Teenage Sprint Star Following in Her Olympian Parents' Footsteps

Posted : 23 June 2025

A rising star is lighting up the British athletics scene, and her name is Annabelle Fasuba. The 13-year-old sprinter, who lives and trains in Plymouth, has stunned the track and field community by becoming the fastest under-15 girl in the UK over 200 meters since 1989. Her remarkable time of 24.02 seconds places her behind only Olympic bronze medallist Katharine Merry and Diane Smith in the all-time rankings for her age group. Even more impressively, she has clocked 11.79 seconds in the 100 meters, making her one of the top five fastest girls in her age bracket in British history.

Annabelle's meteoric rise is made even more impressive by the fact that she only began training seriously just over a year ago. According to her coach, Edwards, much of their focus has been on developing technique rather than intensive conditioning. “We haven’t pushed her too hard yet. It’s been mainly technical development,” he noted, expressing awe at how far she’s come with relatively light training. Despite her short time in the sport, her performances already suggest Olympic potential.

It’s no surprise Annabelle has taken naturally to sprinting, considering her family's decorated background in athletics. Her father, Olusoji Fasuba, is a former World Indoor 60m champion, an Olympic bronze medallist in the 4x100m relay, and once held the African 100m record with a blistering 9.85-second sprint. Her mother, Ngozi, was also an Olympian, competing in the 4x400m relay for Nigeria at the Athens 2004 Olympics. Both parents now see in Annabelle not just echoes of their own talent, but the potential for even greater achievements.

Annabelle herself only recently began to recognize her speed. “It all started in primary school during sports day. Everyone asked me why I was so fast,” she recalled. Now, with dreams of running the 100m and 200m at the Olympics, she trains with focus and joy. Her younger sister is already showing signs of being the next family prodigy, having recently broken a school record in Year Three. For her father, the ultimate dream would be to see both daughters one day running together in a national relay team—a true continuation of a family legacy.

Annabelle Fasuba: Teenage Sprint Star Following in Her Olympian Parents' Footsteps

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