LONDON - Usain Bolt slowed coming around the bend, looked to his left, and saw his lead shrinking.
So the Jamaican turned the speed back up a notch for a few strides, enough to ensure he would win his semifinal heat in 20.18 seconds Wednesday night, moving closer to becoming the first man with two Olympic golds in the 200 meters.
The man two lanes over who was gaining on Bolt, Anaso Jobodwana of South Africa, finished in 20.27 to reach Thursday's final, too.
Bolt already successfully defended his 100 title from the Beijing Olympics on Sunday, joining American Carl Lewis as the only men with two golds in a row in the dash.
Now he's got his sights set on another repeat.
"There's a lot of people there who have come to spoil the party, so we'll see," Bolt said.
Four years ago in Beijing, he went 3 for 3, winning the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay, all in world-record time. He went on to break his marks in the two individual races at the 2009 world championships - marks that still stand, 9.58 in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200.
The field in Thursday's final will include Bolt's teammate and training partner, 100 silver medalist Yohan Blake. Wallace Spearmon of the United States also advanced.
