Harry Aikines-Aryeetey admits the demons hanging over from the 2010 World Indoor Championships cost him dearly at last weekend’s European event in Paris.

The 22-year-old, who missed 10 months last year after snapping a tendon in his hamstring in the Middle East, crashed out in the heats at the Palais Omnisports de Pars-Bercy.

The only silver lining for the Sutton & District runner, who clocked 6.94 seconds, was he came through his race injury-free.

“I just want to say I am so sorry to everyone,” he said.

“What happened to me in Doha last year was playing on my mind and it was the last thing I wanted to happen again – it really scared me.

“I didn’t push more than 80 per cent – I raced within myself and I have just disappointed everyone.

“I am always proud to be part of the GB team and that’s a massive thing for me and I didn’t want to disappoint.

“I wanted to come here and put on a show and try and be one of the medallists but, at the back of my mind, I knew I could have pushed it and squeezed it and I could have been on the floor again.

“I am disappointed in myself and in everything that we stand for as GB.

“The qualification times we have should pretty much get us to the final but I have come here and looked like a shaggy dog and absolutely flopped.

“It feels like déjà vu and Doha all over again.

“I hae come here and got the thumbs up from the doctor so it is no one’s fault but mine – everyone has put so much effort into me.”

Aikines-Aryeetey exploded onto the junior scene by taking both the 100m and 200m titles at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Morocco while he grabbed European U23 gold in 2009.

But he is yet to rekindle that form in the senior ranks and admitted he must start doing so sooner rather than later.

“The team talk that we had was all about taking opportunities and all about people like Linford Christie and Colin Jackson who got their first medals here and used it as a platform,” he added.

“I am 22 now. If you look at someone like Justin Gatlin, he won his Olympic gold medal when he was 23 so it is time for me to start delivering.

“The summer is most definitely what this year is about.

“At the end of the day I am OK so I will start thinking about the outdoor season and hopefully I will come back and improve for GB.”

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