Harry Aikines-Aryeetey

Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey (born 29 August 1988) is an English sprinter. A prodigious junior runner, in 2005 he was named as the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and the IAAF's Rising Star of the Year after becoming the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 metres and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships.[3]

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey at the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games in 2013
Personal information
NationalityUnited Kingdom
Born (1988-08-29) 29 August 1988
Carshalton, Sutton, England
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1][2]
Weight87 kg (192 lb)
Sport
SportSprinting
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100m: 10.08
200m: 20.46
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
2009 Berlin4×100 m relay
European Championships
2014 Zürich4 x 100 m relay
2018 Berlin4 x 100 m relay
2014 Zürich100 m
World Relays
2014 Nassau4×100 m relay
2019 Yokohama4×100 m relay
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast4x100 m relay
2014 Glasgow4x100 m relay

A relay medalist as a senior for Great Britain at the 2009 World Championships, the 2014 IAAF World Relays and, representing England, at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Aikines-Aryeetey won his first senior individual medal, a bronze, in the 100 metres at the 2014 European Athletics Championships. At the same championships he earned his first senior title as part of the Great Britain team that won gold in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay.

Career

Aikines-Aryeetey was born in Carshalton, London to Ghanaian parents. He studied at Greenshaw High School in Sutton, London from 2000–2006.

His first major tournament medal came at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games where he won the silver medal in the 100 m.[4]

On 11 June 2006, aged 17, he competed in the 100 m at Gateshead in which Asafa Powell equalled the world record of 9.77 s. On 16 August 2006, he won the gold in the 100 m at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics, held in Beijing, China, setting a season's best 10.37 s.

He was advised not to run in 2007 due to minor fractures in the spine that could affect later development. After an eleven-month recuperation period,[5] he returned to action in 2008 with a 60 metres personal best of 6.59 s in France to signal a return to form.

Aikines-Aryeetey was selected for Team GB at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. As part of the men's 4 × 100 m relay team with Simeon Williamson, Tyrone Edgar and Marlon Devonish, he took bronze in Berlin with a season's best of 38.02 seconds. In 2009 Harry became a Lucozade Sport Ambassador.

During the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Aikines-Aryeetey had to pull out of his semi-final after qualifying third in his first-round heat due to injury. He then returned in August but was not up to full fitness and then took months to regain it for the 2011 season. In the 2011 indoor season, Aikines-Aryeetey returned to some kind of form, finishing second in the UK indoor championships and European Trials. After having qualified, he again was restrained in his heat by injury running 6.94. However, he ran a 200m personal best of 20.46 in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland in July. He went on to win the UK championships in Birmingham and qualified for the IAAF World Championships in Daegu with a time of 10.14.

Aikines-Aryeetey won his first senior individual medal in the final of the 2014 European Championships in Zurich where he finished third in a time of 10.22 seconds. In 2018 he was part of the relay team that took gold at both the commonwealth games and also the European championships, his second European gold (after Zurich 2014).

In 2019 he went to his 6th World championships in Doha competing in the 4x100m, in total he has competed at 6 World athletics championships, 2 Olympic games, 2 Commonwealth games, 4 European Athletics Championships, 2 European Indoor Athletics Championships and 1 World Indoor Athletics Championships. In 2020 he became British champion when winning the 100 metres event at the 2020 British Athletics Championships with a time of 10.35 sec.[6]

Personal bests
Event Best Location Date
60 metres 6.55 s Birmingham, United Kingdom 13 February 2010
100 metres 10.08 s Birmingham, United Kingdom 13 July 2013
200 metres 20.46 s La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland 3 July 2011

References
  1. "Harry Aikines-Aryeetey". teamengland.org. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  2. "The Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games, Participants, Harry AIKINES-ARYEETEY". gc2018.thecgf.com. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  3. Historic Double for Harry Aikines Aryeetey highlight of last day of the IAAF/Maroc Telecom World Youth Championships. IAAF (17 July 2005). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  4. A rising star. BBC Sport (30 January 2006). Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  5. Britain's sprinting star. The Guardian (10 January 2009). Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  6. "Results list". British Athletics.
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