LONDON,  (CMC) – Usain Bolt is poised to defend his 200m title in a bid to cement his status as a legend today at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Bolt effortlessly breezed into the Olympic 200m final yesterday to set up a much-anticipated showdown with his training partner Yohan Blake.
The reigning Olympic champion won the second semi-final in 20.18 seconds, racing out of the blocks brilliantly before relaxing down the straight
He jogged the last 70m and seems on course for his second straight 200m gold medal.
Bolt again made it clear he is here “to cement my legendary status. I am focused and I am ready.”
He said the semi-finals was just to “go through as easy as possible” but warned that “I am ready (for the final)” as “this is my event.”
“The track is fast. It’s going to be a good race, a lot of good competitors.”
Yohan Blake, who beat Bolt in both sprints at the Jamaica Trials and was second here in the men’s 100m, was also very easy in taking semi-final one.
Blake, despite shutting it down after 160 metres, crossed the line in 20.01 ahead of American Wallace Spearmon, who did 20.02 and French man Christophe Lemetre, 3rd in 20.03secs.
Blake described the race “as a walk in the park” Looking to the final set for Thursday, he said “There is always a good chance of winning.”
Spearmon said he got a little bit left over from the final, so come that time “you’re definitely going to see something.”
Warren Weir, the third Jamaican, also secured his place in the highly anticipated final after crossing the line in 20.28 behind winner Churandi Martina of the Netherlands 20.17. Brendan Christian (ANT) was fifth in 20.58.
Antoine Adams (SKN) was also qualified while Bahamian Michael Mathieu false started.
Meantime, in the Decathlon, Kurt Felix of Grenada, at his first Olympics, lies in third position of the men’s category.
Felix has 4142 points with only the 400m score to be added.
He recorded marks of 11.71 (100m), 7.63m (long jump), 13.28m (shot put) and 2.05m (high jump).
Earlier in the morning session, Jamaica’s Kenia Sinclair pulled out of the 800m with a knee problem.
However, Grenada’s Neisha Bernard-Thomas with 2:03.23 advanced as one of the fastest losers.