Jamaica's Usain Bolt (2nd, R) reacts after crossing the finish line during the men's 200m semifinal of Athletics at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 17, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jamaica's seven-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt qualified fastest for Thursday's 200m final in Rio as he continues his quest for a third straight Olympic gold medal in the event.
The 29-year-old clocked 19.78 seconds, his best time of the year, to edge out Canadian Andre de Grasse by two hundredths of a second.
The pair appeared to leave plenty in reserve as they smiled at each other while crossing the finish line in their second semifinal.
Lashawn Merritt of the United States was third fastest, winning the first semifinal in 19.94.
Merritt's teammate, Justin Gatlin - expected to be Bolt's main gold medal rival in the event - failed to qualify for the final with a time of 20.13.
Bolt became the first man to win three straight Olympic 100m titles by beating Gatlin by eight hundredths of a second on Sunday. De Grasse took bronze.
Already considered the most successful sprinter of all time, Bolt is hoping to achieve an unprecedented triple-triple here: three successive Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
