 Aikines-Aryeetey was the first person to win the sprint double at the World Youth Championships |
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey says his 10-day American training camp can help him become one of the world's top athletes. The 17-year-old British sprinter has been training at North Carolina Central University with Olympic champions Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford.
"It's something you only dream about," said Aikines-Aryeetey, who won both the 100m and 200m at the World Youth Championships in Morocco last year.
"I am definitely a better sprinter than I was two weeks ago."
Aikines-Aryeetey also got to work with highly-rated coach Trevor Graham, making technical changes to his start and stride pattern.
Graham called the teenager a fast learner and reckoned he could run under 10.1 seconds in the 100m this year.
But Aikines-Aryeetey, who has a personal best of 10.35secs, says times are not that important to him at this stage in his career.
"It's not what I want to run time wise, it's about what I want to win this year," he said. "I want to win the world juniors in Beijing this summer. That's the aim."
Aikines-Aryeetey was offered the chance of training full-time in America by Graham but turned down the opportunity.
However, the Surrey youngster has not ruled out heading to the States at some point in the future.
"Next year I will be in university in Britain and I plan to live out my university life there," said Aikines-Aryeetey. "Hopefully, if the invitation is still open, I'll come after that."
The Briton will return to America at the end of the month to compete in the Penn Relays as a reserve for the British 4x100 relay team.
He also expects to run in the 100m against a field that includes compatriot Mark Lewis-Francis.
MMIX
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