May 12

Abdul Hakim Sani Brown has become the second Japanese runner to break the 10-second barrier in the men's 100-meter sprint. He competed in the South East Conference Championship of US colleges in Arkansas on Saturday.

The 20-year-old came in first in the final race, with a time of 9.99 seconds. He is now qualified to take part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. His performance fell short of Japan's national record of 9.98 seconds, which was set by Yohsihide Kiryu in September 2017. Sani Brown told reporters he was focused during the race and gave it everything he had. He said he was confident that he could break the 10-second barrier.

Sani Brown said he got off to a smooth start, and thought that in the last 20 meters of the race he could improve his time if he pushed himself a bit more. Sani Brown was born to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother. In 2015, at the age of 16, he won gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters at the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, World Youth Championships. He broke the 200-meter championship record then held by Usain Bolt.

He won the IAAF's Rising Star Award in 2015. Sani Brown could not compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games due to an injury. In 2017, he became the youngest finalist in the 200-meter sprint at the world championships. He is currently enrolled at the University of Florida.

NHK