London, Aug 9 (IANS/CMC): Usain Bolt is poised to defend his Olympic 200 metres title Thursday in a bid to cement his status as a sprint legend.

Bolt effortlessly breezed into the 200m final Wednesday to set up a much-anticipated showdown with his training partner Yohan Blake.

The reigning Olympic champion won the second semifinal 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, CMC reports.

Bolt again made it clear he is here "to cement my legendary status. I am focused and I am ready".

He said the semifinals 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."

Blake, who beat Bolt in both sprints at the Jamaica Trials and was second here in the men's 100m, also had it easy in semifinal 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.