LAST February a 17-year-old sprinter from Doddington told this newspaper that he wanted people to recognise the name Jonnie Peacock.

The single leg amputee will get his wish tonight as he carries the hopes of Great Britain - and Fenland - in the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Peacock, 19, runs in the first heat of the T44 100m at about 7pm, when he will line up against world champion Jerome Singleton and surprise 200m champion Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira.

South African legend Oscar Pistorius runs in the second heat alongside American star Blake Leeper.

Peacock has shot to stardom in a matter of months. He smashed the T44 100m world record by running 10.85secs in June and he has quickly become TeamGB’s Paralympic poster boy.

His reputation has grown so fast that Pistorius highlighted him as a “huge threat” to his hopes of defending the T44 100m title.

The Blade Runner said: “In May when he ran 11.4secs for a personal best, I was asked what I thought about him.

“I said, ‘well, he’s a youngster, he’s coming up through the sport and he’s still got a lot to learn’.

“Then he went and broke the single-amputee world record and improved by more than half a second; you never see that, especially in the 100m.

“I’ve been more than impressed.”

The T44 100m final is on Thursday at about 9.20pm.

Peacock tweeted on Sunday: “Being here and listening to this crowd is crazy!! It’s making me so hungry for it!! Wednesday cant come soon enough!!”