Inverness Harriers athlete Marvellous Igbinidu is Scottish Schools Championship 100 metres and 200 metres champion
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MARVELLOUS Igbinidu is the fastest teenage girl in the country after becoming Scottish Schools 100 metres and 200 metres champion.
The Culloden Academy fifth year pupil, who represents Inverness Harriers, claimed double gold success at Grangemouth.
Igbinidu (15) won the 100 metres title in a time of 12.59 seconds in the final to claim gold and the George Aithie Trophy.
In the heats, she recorded a personal best time of 12.41 seconds.
She also claimed the 200 metres title with 25.81.
She was faster than runners who competed in the oldest age group, with Igbinidu competing in the age group below.
The double gold winner was confident that she would at least come home with a medal, but knew she had to put in hard work with her training to make it happen.
“I was super pleased because I recorded a massive personal best which was previously 12.79 and I got 12.41,” she said.
“In the 200 metres, I ran 25.81 and my personal best previously was 26.70.
“I knew I was going to get a medal as I knew some of the girls I was up against.
“But I wasn’t expecting massive personal bests and coming first in both events.”
Igbinidu’s talent was first spotted at primary school when she won races at an inter-school competition in Inverness.
She then joined the Inverness Harriers at under-13 level and went on to achieve success at a number of national competitions.
She said: “When I was at primary school, I took part in inter-school sports where I came first in races and there were massive gaps between me and everyone else.
“People saw I was fast, so I was invited to join Inverness Harriers.
“The club helped improve my running posture as it was not good to begin with, and from there I started winning competitions.”
Igbinidu has now qualified to compete at the Home Internationals in Belfast this summer.
She wants to know where she ranks among the best teenage sprinters in the UK.
“I know there are going to be fast girls running there as I have seen their times and rankings,” she said.
“I will get a good personal best, as when I race with faster people, I go faster and it motivates me to do better.
“I want to be an Olympic sprinter, I want to be known as the fastest runner in the world. That is my big dream.”
