Akinola, who had clocked 6.59 to advance from his heat earlier in the day, fell short of the Irish record he set earlier this year of 6.54.
The semi-final was won by USA’s Jordan Anthony in 6.43, with Britain’s Jeremiah Azu taking the second automatic qualifying spot in 6.45.
“We’ve been working on the start, building into the run, but I wasn’t as sharp getting out,” said Akinola. “I was thinking too much during the hold when I was on my marks, it caught me by surprise.”
Akinola said his frustration was due to knowing what he can do when he gets it right and added that the performance fell well short of that.
“Everything comes into play, the pressure, your mentality, and it’s something I need to work on, not succumbing to the cameras,” he said.
“It’s been a good season, I ran some really good races on the circuit, but championships are different. I thought I executed the plan but it didn’t work out how I wanted.
“My PB would have made the final and I know I can run quicker than that, I just need to see what happened and hope it never happens again.”
Earlier in the day, Mark English produced a controlled, commanding performance to take victory in his 800m heat in 1:46.62.
He needed a top-two finish to advance automatically and the 33-year-old Donegal athlete eased to the front approaching the final lap, with Poland’s Filip Ostrowski taking second in 1:46.61. He’ll be back in action in the semi-finals on Saturday at 12.08pm Irish time.
Mark English of Ireland, centre, competing in the men’s 800m heats during day one of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Torun, Poland. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
“There’s so many good athletes and everyone probably feels they’ve a chance of making it, of winning it,” said English, who’s targeting his first global final. “I’m taking it one round at a time. I came in having had a great winter behind me. I put the head down after Tokyo last year and wanted to do my form justice.”
His 800m semi-final sees him drawn alongside Australia’s Peter Bol, who also trains under coach Justin Rinaldi. Bol is the only athlete in the field to have gone quicker than English this year, though his 1:43.89 was run outdoors. If English is to make his first global final, which will require a top-two finish, this is as good a chance as he’ll get.
Elsewhere, there were mixed fortunes for Ireland’s two athletes in the women’s 800m, Maeve O’Neill and Emma Moore. O’Neill came home third in her heat in 2:03.20 but a disqualification of US rival Valery Tobias for a lane infringement saw her soon upgraded to second and into the semi-final.
“I’m over the moon,” she said. “That was the aim – to get in the semi-finals. I’m really excited and I’ll try calm the nerves now and get ready as best I can.”
Maeve O’Neill of Ireland, left, competing in the women’s 800m heats during day one of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Torun, Poland. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Moore came home fifth in her heat in 2:02.00, a race won by Italy’s Eloisa Coiro in 1:59.87. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, I came here to make a semi-final,” said Moore. “I tried to make a few moves that cost me in the end. I wanted a better position and I couldn’t get it but that’s experience, which I don’t have a lot of. I didn’t really execute the race plan, but I stood on the line and felt like I belonged there. Moving forward, I won’t be happy with just making the heats of a World Champs.”
James Gormley was well off the pace in his heat of the 1500m, coming home 10th in 3:50.71, seven seconds behind race winner Samuel Pihlstrom of Sweden.
On Saturday, Andrew Coscoran and Nick Griggs will carry Ireland’s hopes in a loaded men’s 3000m final on Saturday evening, a race featuring the full 1500m podium from the Paris Olympics. “I don’t see why I can’t rub shoulders with them,” said Griggs. “It’s going to be interesting to go out there and really put myself in the mix, make a statement, and see if I am as good as I think I am at the minute, as good as I think I can be.”
World Indoor Championships: Live, Virgin Media Two, 8.55am/5.15pm; Virgin Media Three, 7.25pm
Irish in action, Saturday (all times Irish)
Ciara Neville, Lauren Roy: women’s 60m heats,10:05am
Maeve O’Neill: women’s 800m semi-final, 11.22am
Mark English: men’s 800m semi-final, 12.08pm
Andrew Coscoran, Nick Griggs: men’s 3000m final, 6.22pm
*Ciara Neville, Lauren Roy: women’s 60m semi-finals, 7.14pm
*Ciara Neville, Lauren Roy: women’s 60m final, 8.20pm
*Pending qualification