Yuki Koike was named for Japan's remaining berth in the men's 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations announced Friday as it filled out the remaining spots on its 65-member team.
Yoshihide Kiryu and Bruno Dede, who failed to earn spots in the 100 a week ago at Japan's national athletics championships, were named to the Olympic team to run in the men's 4x100-meter relay.
Winning the relay is part of the association's strategy, and in accordance with that Koike will run in the 100 and the relay and give up the spot he earned in the 200 at the championships.
In his place, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, a former national record holder in the 100, was named to run in the 200. Sani Brown pulled out of the race last weekend due to discomfort in his left thigh.
He will be joined in the event by fellow Olympic debutant Jun Yamashita, and Shota Iizuka, who will be competing in his third straight Olympics.
Nozomi Tanaka was picked along with Ran Urabe to be Japan's first Olympic competitors in the women's 1,500.
Asuka Terada was one of the three selected for the women's 100 hurdles, while Hitomi Niiya will drop out of the women's 5,000 to focus on the 10,000, with Kaede Hagitani named to run the 5,000.
Off the track, Naoto Tobe was picked for the men's high jump and Seito Yamamoto the men's pole vault.
