13-Year-Old Annabelle Fasuba Shatters Records, Eyes Olympic Future
PLYMOUTH — At just 13, Annabelle Fasuba is rewriting British sprint history. With a blistering 200-meter time of 24.02 seconds, she now holds the fastest time for a girl under 15 in the United Kingdom since 1989. Only Katharine Merry and Diane Smith have ever run quicker in that age category.
Her 100-meter personal best 11.79 seconds ranks fifth all-time for British girls under 15. That time also puts her just over 0.25 seconds off the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark. What makes these achievements more striking is her short time in the sport.
“She only started just over a year ago,” said her coach Neal Edwards. “We haven’t pushed her hard. It’s mostly been about refining her technique.”
Athletic roots run deep
Annabelle trains in Plymouth, but her talent didn’t come out of nowhere. Her father, Olusoji Fasuba, was an Olympic 4x100m bronze medalist in 2004, World Indoor 60m champion in 2008, and once held the African 100m record with a time of 9.85 seconds. Her mother, Ngozi Fasuba, also competed internationally, running in the 4x400m relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“She got it from us,” said Ngozi. “I was fast, my husband was fast, and she’s clearly inherited that.”
Olusoji, who now works in logistics with the Royal Navy, said watching Annabelle train at her age reminds him just how far ahead she is. “She’s tougher than I was,” he admitted. “At that age, I wasn’t thinking about anything serious. I was just running in the sand. But she trains hard and smiles through it.”
He added, “I think she’ll go further than I did and that’s every father’s dream.”
Big goals from a quiet start
Annabelle first noticed her speed at a school sports day. She said classmates began asking why she was so fast. That curiosity turned into commitment.
“I really like to train and race,” she said. “I want to go to the Olympics for the 100 and 200 meters and I want to win.”
Her younger sister, still in primary school, is also showing signs of elite speed. Last week, she broke the school’s Year 3 sprint record. The family now dreams of seeing both girls on the track together one day.
“My eldest and youngest in the same relay team that would be the greatest achievement,” said Olusoji.
Annabelle, meanwhile, is focused on the present training smart, racing hard, and building on a future already filled with promise. Her times suggest she’s not just fast for her age. She’s fast, period.
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