Athens - Justin Gatlin, aiming for the Olympic sprint double, cruised into the second round of the 200 metres along with two other US teammates on Tuesday.
Gatlin, the 100 gold medallist, finished second in his heat after easing up in the final few strides. Shawn Crawford and Bernard Williams also advanced.
The fastest times of the opening round were 20.29 by Williams and Stephane Buckland of Mauritius. Also advancing were 100 silver medallist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal and two-time silver medallist Frank Fredericks of Namibia.
Absent was defending champion Kostas Kenteris - who withdrew from the games after missing a drug test. His attempt to win 200 gold in his homeland had been expected to be one of the highlights of the games for Greek fans.
Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan extended his lead in the decathlon.
He had the best time of 13.97 seconds in the 110-metre hurdles to push his total to 5 667 points after six of the 10 events.
World record-holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic was second with 5 562, followed by American Bryan Clay (5 512).
World champion Tom Pappas pulled out after injuring his left foot while attempting a pole vault.
An American of Greek heritage, Pappas was expected to be a star of the Athens Games.
But he struggled through the first day and was fifth going into Tuesday.
Through seven events, Pappas remained fifth and had a slim chance at getting a medal.
In 110-metre hurdles, four-time world champion and 1996 gold medallist Allen Johnson struggled to advance from his first-round heat, finishing third in 13.45 seconds.
"I'm happy I advanced and am looking forward to tomorrow," Johnson said. "It's a big meet, big performances, and more will come later."
The fastest time of the round was run by Ladji Doucoure, who set a French record with 13.18. Also advancing to Wednesday's second round was Liu Xiang of China, a bronze medallist at last year's world championships.
