Meet the Northampton 11-year-old on track to be the UK's next Olympic gold superstar

Three times a week on a Northampton running track, the UK's fastest 11-year-old is training to be a world-record athlete one day.
Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.
Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.

It's been a busy few years for Savannah Morgan. The Year 6 schoolgirl from Kings Heath was at a photo shoot in Amsterdam for her Nike advert in July.

This was after clocking the fastest 60m sprint in the country for her age at 8.50 seconds in November 2017.

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Then, in February this year, she met her hero and European Gold Champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith for the second time.

Now, her last race of the indoor season on March 2 saw her smash her personal best with a time of 8.21 seconds - cementing her as the UK's fastest 11-year-old. Ever.

"Dina Asher-Smith told me to think about one word over in my mind at the starting blocks," Savannah told the Chronicle and Echo. "I went with 'explode'. I just thought 'explode, explode, explode'.

"It really helps. I'm still learning to run properly, like how to move my arms. Dina says races are won in the first three steps."

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Savannah is still training every week with Northampton Athletic Club on the ground of Moulton College ahead of the summer season. She is still learning where to hold her head and how to pump her arms, but the Northampton girl is head and shoulders above her competition.

Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.
Savannah Morgan - officially the UK's fastest 11-year-old.

There's no denying it. The Northampton 11-year-old is on track to be a UK Olympic Gold medal winner - and it's not a stretch to say she could be breaking world records in Los Angeles 2028.

Her Olympic dream has been constant throughout her life. Her sister, Corinne Humphreys, is 16 years older than her and represented Team GB in the 2018 Commonwealth games. And one of her earliest memories is seeing Mo Farah win Gold at 2012 Olympics with her father when she was just four years old.

Savannah said: "I want to go to the Olympics and win Gold. But I want to be a world record holder too.

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"It's just another goal. I just have to work really hard to achieve it. It means I have to catch up on school sometimes after training but I don't mind."

For all her record breaking, Savannah says she is still learning to run 'properly' with the help of her coaches.For all her record breaking, Savannah says she is still learning to run 'properly' with the help of her coaches.
For all her record breaking, Savannah says she is still learning to run 'properly' with the help of her coaches.

The schoolwork is just as important. Being an Olympic Gold medallist and record breaker is just one of Savannah's goals - she has her heart set on being a vet so she can meet as many pets as possible.

Her mum Amanda has been cheering for Savannah since her first contest when she was nine.

She said: "She surprises us all the time. None of us takes her talent for granted. She has her own of goals and she's always pushing herself.

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"If she sticks to it, she will be as good as if not better as what we've seen in the UK."

Savannah is training at the track on Moulton College campus.Savannah is training at the track on Moulton College campus.
Savannah is training at the track on Moulton College campus.

But for now, Savannah is gearing up for her first outdoors contest at the Youth Development League races in April.

Watch this space. The next greatest thing in UK athletics is training in Northampton and one day the world could well be watching her take her marks in the starting blocks.