In the sprints, the prodigious Harry Aikines-Aryeetey won the 100m in 10.76, ahead of Rion Pierre who recorded 10.80 seconds. Andrew Watkins who broke Christian Malcolm’s 100m Welsh Schools Record a fortnight ago was third in 10.87 seconds. Watkins got revenge in the 200m, crossing the line first in 21.92 seconds.

The exciting quality of UK sprinting’s next generation shone through at the South of England Champs at Portsmouth, where Craig Pickering (Milton Keynes) followed his amazing victory over the Seniors in 10.22 seconds at the Loughborough International by finishing third in 10.56. Ahead of him in a race with a wind reading of +0.5m/s were Simeon Williamson (Highgate Harriers), who clocked 10.42, and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Sutton and District), who was second in 10.44. The UKA qualifying standard for the European Junior Championships is 10.55.

World Youth Championships, Marrakech

Harry became the first athlete ever to win the 100m and 200m at the World Youth Championships in Marrakech. He ran personal bests of 10.35 for 100m and 20.91 for 200m in the final, beating his UK teammate Alex Nelson by just 0.01 in the 100m, but having a clear victory in the longer event.

PROGRESSION THROUGH THE ROUNDS:

200m heats

Harry Aikines Aryeetey proved he had the maturity to maintain his focus after his 100m glory on Thursday night – qualifying with 21.45 and winning his heat.

“Harry has done really well,” said Dunn. “He’s kept focussed and he made sure he was ready for today’s heats. In qualifying he was really easy, but made sure he went through and kept his concentration.”

However a team manager’s lot is not always an easy one, as Dunn took the decision to withdraw the teams from the medley relays on Saturday evening after a busy week in Marrakech.

“We’ve got some athletes who will be going off to the European Juniors next week, and although they would have gladly lined up – I didn’t want to pressure them in having to run.

“Harry for example would have had to run the 200m semi, and line up in the medley within a few hours – we would hope he would be in the final tomorrow so it could be one race too far. They’ve all performed brilliantly this week, but it’s the right decision, as it has been a long week.”

200m semi-final

Harry Aikines Aryeeteysped through to the 200m final after finishing second in his heat in a personal best 21.08 – although the winner clocked the same time exactly – leaving the young Brit equal fastest going into Sunday’s final.

Pre-race -

The 200m specialist held off challenges from promising youngsters Simeon Williamson and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey to win in 6.64 seconds.

"People keep telling me I can't run 60m so I feel I've proved a point there," said Abeyie.

"Every race I have run this year I get quicker and quicker so it can only be a positive for the World Indoors." 

Harry ran 10.38 in Gateshead.

Closing down the first day’s events was the men’s 4 x 100m where the running order of Tim Abeyie (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), Marlon Devonish (Coventry Godiva), Christian Malcolm (Cardiff AAC) and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Sutton) saw the GB men finish the day with a third position – and invaluable experience for Harry “AA”.

Harry Aikines Aryeetey said of his time training with the GB relay team:

“It’s been brilliant – they’ve really taken me in. The B 100m race earlier in the evening didn’t go as I would want, but this was a great experience.”

The GB & NI men's 4 x 100m relay time of 39.31 seconds will be a target for Thursday’s B relay team in the none-scoring race.

Pre-race: The Junior men's 100m features World Youth Champion Harry Aikines Aryeetey (Sutton & District) and Wade Bennett Jackson (Belgrave) could feature in the medals here and in the 200m.

GB Juniors in Mannheim

There was an Under 18 1-2 at even quicker pace by Alex Nelson (City of Stoke AC) and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Sutton and District). 

Although Aikines-Aryeetey appeared to have the swifter start, Nelson picked-up so powerfully that he won in a personal best of 10.31 seconds, while Aikines-Aryeetey was timed at 10.45.  

Nelson had looked very good in clocking 10.35 seconds in his Under 18s’ heat (wind: 0.0m/s), with Aikines-Aryeetey in second place in 10.55.  

Proving that success can never be taken for granted the Norwich Union GB quartet of Aikines-Aryeetey, Nelson, Julian Thomas (Birchfield Harriers) and Williamson finished second in the 4x100m in 40.47 seconds, three-hundredths behind the German squad.