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When Divine Iheme ran the 100m in 10.3 seconds as a 14-year-old last summer, it was a world record for that age.

To put that time in context, Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles’ personal best at the same age was about one second slower, while Australian sprint prodigy Gout Gout clocked 10.57.

A year on, Iheme holds the 60m indoor world record for 15-year-olds, which he set in January.

But he has much higher ambitions.

“I can see myself with an Olympic title to my name in the 100 and the 200, and hopefully it will happen,” says Iheme, who is nicknamed ‘Lightning’.

Born in Oxford as the third son of two Nigerian former international sprinters, Iheme was born to run fast – and his mum spotted it early on.

“I knew when he was in my tummy,” says Nkiruka Divine, who is not just his mum – but also his coach. “When I was pregnant, he kept on kicking.

“I am an athlete, his dad and my dad [were athletes]. When he entered primary school, that’s when we finally said: ‘Yes, we got a talent here we have to nurture.'”

Having initially tried gymnastics, Divine turned to athletics when he was seven years old – and soon noticed he was different from his peers.

“In the 75m race in primary school, there would always be this big gap,” he says.

“I’d always look back saying: ‘Did I run that?’ It felt kind of weird to me.”

Having run for fun alongside other sports, things became more serious after he impressed at the English Schools Athletics Championships in 2023.

After competing at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Nkiruka served for nine years in the British Army, which she says influenced her as a coach.

Aware of Divine’s potential, she and her husband Innocent founded the PWD Athletics Academy in Oxford, where their son trains four times a week.

“It’s tough, very tough. I can’t escape any sessions,” the teenager says, smiling.

“He knows that once we enter the track, I don’t look at him as my son,” Nkiruka says.

“I have to get down to business, so I take off motherhood and bring in the coach.”

“She knows me more than anyone because I’m her son,” Divine chips in.

“She knows how to critique me well; which bits I’m stronger at and which bits I’m weaker at so it’s really good.

Iheme says he grew up watching videos of Usain Bolt’s record-breaking performances over 200m at the World Championships in Berlin, admires Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, and has been following closely the times posted by Gout.

“He’s doing great. I saw his recent 20.2, and I was really happy for him,” he said.

Iheme and Gout may one day go head to head for athletics’ biggest prizes, but for now the Briton is focused solely on self-improvement.

“I’m hoping to run a PB of 10.2 or even lower,” he says.

“And I’m aiming to get my 200m down much, much quicker. Sub-21.”

Despite his obvious talent, Iheme remains what many would regard as a typical teenager.

“I like to watch Netflix. I love binge watching,” he says.

The importance of remaining grounded can’t be overstated. The athletics world is littered with countless examples of talented juniors who never transitioned to top-level seniors.

“Many of us who have been in athletics for a long time understand that it’s a marathon,” says 2010 world indoor champion Dwain Chambers.

The news Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea for just over £50m has prompted a backlash from some Gunners fans.

A petition has been set up and signed more than 4,000 times, #NoToMadueke has gained traction on X, and murals outside the club’s Emirates Stadium have been vandalised with ‘Arteta out’.

Arsenal have signed six players from Chelsea in recent years – and Madueke will be the second this transfer window after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Some fans believe the club should be chasing what they perceive to be ‘bigger’ names.

The Gunners have, for example, been linked with Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze.

Responding to a post on our Arsenal page, Gunners fan Steve said: “It’s underwhelming, really. A lot of money for a back-up player. He won’t be a first-team choice over [Bukayo] Saka on the right and [Gabriel] Martinelli on the left.

“They should have got a cheaper back-up player and used the excess money to seal the [Viktor] Gyokeres deal.

“I think the other thing about this is that some Arsenal fans were hoping to get Rodrygo. This is now not happening as Arsenal don’t have the money to spend.

“Is Madueke that sort of player that will win you the Prem? No, Rodrygo is, which is why there is disappointment in the ranks at Arsenal.”

Andrew – a season ticket holder – said there was a difference between match-going fans and those on social media.

“The key word is ‘online’,” Andrew said. “These people signing petitions aren’t Arsenal fans. They live in some parallel fantasy universe on social media where football is viewed like a video game.

“I’m a season ticket holder, and people who go to games believe in Arteta and trust his judgement because he’s usually right.

“Madueke might not be an exciting signing now, but he could prove to be a very good one.

“[Nico] Williams was never coming, Rodrygo is a waste of money, [Anthony] Gordon is overrated and I don’t think this affects Eze. We’ll see how it all works out.”

Will, meanwhile, thinks a lot of the frustration is around the money Arsenal are going to be paying to Chelsea.

“I reckon over half the fans don’t think Madueke is a bad player. It’s just the nature of the deal – £50m for a player who is going to sit on the bench behind Saka or look out of place on the left wing seems like poor business – particularly when this feels like a make-or-break season for major silverware.

Madueke is part of Chelsea’s Club World Cup squad, and came on as a substitute as they reached the final by beating Brazilian side Fluminense 2-0.

He joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 for £30m and has scored 20 goals in 92 appearances.

Madueke was in the Tottenham academy before moving to the Netherlands in 2018.

He plays predominantly on the right, with 88% of his Premier League minutes having come on a side of the pitch that is dominated by Saka at Arsenal.

Saka, 23, started 108 of 114 league matches from 2021-22 to 2023-24 but missed three months of last season because of a hamstring inury.

Madueke would be a capable option as back-up to Saka but can also play on the left.

He was one of England’s standout performers in the recent international break and his assist from the left for Harry Kane’s winning goal against Andorra was one of three in his first seven matches.

Madueke is seen by Arsenal as a good fit, as someone who has played consistent trophy-winning first-team football over the past two seasons.

He has settled well on the international stage and, at 23, there is a feeling he will continue to develop and also increase his value.

There is, obviously, an awareness that Arsenal have signed players from Chelsea in the past but there are success stories within those deals.

Forward Kai Havertz has become vital to the Gunners, midfielder Jorginho was one of Arteta’s most trusted leaders within the squad, and Kepa has joined after an impressive season at Bournemouth.

When looking at the stats, you can see why Arteta might be excited about the prospect of signing Madueke.

His expected goals (9.6), his number of shots (80), touches in the opposition box (199) and progressive carries with the ball (242) were all higher than Martinelli and Saka in the Premier League last season.

Saka only played in 25 league matches compared to Madueke’s 32, so it is a fairer comparison with Martinelli, who played 33 times.

Madueke also contributed a combined 10 goals and assists to Chelsea last season and could boost Arsenal’s much-criticised attack.

Injuries plagued Arteta’s side last season and they ended the season with limited options in attack as they fell away in the title race.