AUSTIN, Texas — The time for a Japanese runner to break through the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters appears to be entering the final turn.

Yoshihide Kiryu clocked a wind-aided 9.87 seconds in the 100 at the Texas Relays on Saturday in his first race this season. The 19-year-old Toyo University sprinter won by finishing 0.02 seconds ahead of second-place U.S. runner Ryan Bailey, who was fifth in the 100 at the 2012 London Olympics.

After crossing the finish line, Kiryu looked up at the clock to check his time. When he saw the numbers, he couldn’t help but express his joy, leaping into the air and pumping his right fist skyward.

“I’m stunned,” Kiryu said after the race. “Although the time was wind-aided, it’s important to have the experience of a sub-10 time.

“I believe expectations [to run under 10 seconds] will fall on me once I return to Japan, so I need to run well.”

The result isn’t considered official because there was a tailwind of 3.3 meters per second, above the maximum allowable 2.0 meters.

However, that does not mean Kiryu’s time should be underestimated. According to a study by Yoshimasa Noguchi, a member of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians, 9.87 with a tailwind of 3.3 meters is equivalent to a 9.96 with a tailwind of 2.0 meters, and 9.99 with a tailwind of 1.5 meters.

Before Kiryu, no Japanese runner had ever clocked under 10 seconds in the electronic time-keeping era, even with wind assistance. In 1995, Yoshitaka Ito clocked 9.8 with a tailwind of 9.3 meters, but the time was measured manually.

Kiryu ran a 10.01 as a high school student in 2013, the second-fastest time on record domestically.

Koji Ito, who has the national record of 10.00, believes that time will soon be topped.

“Even with wind assistance, running under 9.90 is tremendous,” the 45-year-old Ito said. “I think the big day will arrive soon without difficulty.”

Attacking his weakness

Kiryu on Saturday showed improvement with his start, which has been his Achilles heel.

Over the winter, he worked on his weakness, putting emphasis on changing the placement of his starting blocks. Kiryu moved the left block — which is in front — forward about a half-foot size, and the right block back about one foot to widen his setup.

“The change enabled me to make my first step smoother, and I was able to getting rid of the inferiority complex I had about my starts” Kiryu said.

A bitter experience about 1½ hours before the 100 also inspired him. Kiryu was the anchor in the 4×100-meter relay, receiving the baton with the team in first place. However, Justin Gatlin, the 100-meter bronze medalist in London, raced past him to take his team to second place.

When it was time for the 100, Kiryu got off to a good start, jumping out smoothly at the sound of the gun. He went into high gear at around 30 meters, and showed no signs of tightening up. His form looked smooth at the midway point in the race as Kiryu beat Bailey, whose personal best is 9.88.

Recalling his start, Kiryu said: “It really went well. I had no negative thoughts about it.”

There seems to be even more room for improvement for Kiryu, with this being his first 100 in eight months as he comes back from a torn muscle in his left thigh in September.

Kiryu’s next race is the Oda Memorial Meet in Hiroshima on April 18-19.

Shunji Karube, chief of the Japan Association of Athletic Federation’s short-distance running division, believes Kiryu might do something special there.

“I’m looking forward to watching the Oda Memorial Meet. It could become a historic day,” he said.Speech