Asian Games men's 200-meter gold medalist Yuki Koike, 100-meter national record holder Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Yoshihide Kiryu calmly qualified for the gold-medal race on Saturday evening at the 103rd Japan National Championships.
Competing in the sprinkling rain, Koike led the entire pack with a time of 20.62 seconds, while Sani Brown followed Koike in 20.84.
Both Koike and Sani Brown finished first in their heats. Koike, who ran in the first heat, sprinted in almost no wind. But Sani Brown, who ran in the third and final group, had to deal with a stronger headwind (1.8 meters per second).