Justin Gatlin easily won his first race of the United States championships Saturday in Eugene, Ore., winning his opening heat in the 200 meters in 19.92 seconds.
The only sprinters who have run a 200 preliminary faster are Carl Lewis (19.84), Shawn Crawford (19.88) and Michael Johnson (19.89).
On Friday, Gatlin, 33, skipped the 100 meters, which Tyson Gay won in 9.87 seconds, because his 2014 Diamond League title gives him a guaranteed berth in the world championships in Beijing.
Isiah Young finished 0.07 of a second behind Gatlin. The semifinals and the finals in the 200 were scheduled for Sunday.