André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

MOSCOW, Russia:

The world's fastest man admitted that he is a bit tired heading into today's 200m final, at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, but promises he will not be holding anything back as he pushes for a historic third straight 200m world title.

Bolt, the double Olympic champion and world record holder, eased into the final with a 20.12 effort, ahead of exuberant South African Anaso Jabodwana, 20.13, whose full-hearted sprint towards the end forced the big Jamaican to reaccelerate for the win, and Isiah Young, 20.36.

"Every time after the semi-finals of the 200m, I always feel tired, but it's all about going home, flushing (massage) out my legs tonight (last night) and getting a good ice bath," Bolt said.

"But I'm definitely going to go out there to run, I'm not going to hold anything back. I'm going to push myself and see how fast I can go," promised Bolt, who also assured that he was not feeling any effects after he accidentally dropped a starting block on his right foot.

No man has every won three consecutive 200m world titles, in fact, no man has ever won three 200m titles at the world championships and if Bolt is in fact to trouble the historians, he will have to once again hold off the challenge from someone very close to home.

Training partners

Like it was in London at the Olympic Games last year, Bolt's main 'concerns' were his own training partners, and with London 2012 silver medallist Yohan Blake expected to be watching from the stands, Bolt will find in Warren Weir another determined challenger to his ambitions.

"You never know, who that threat may be," said Bolt. "Everybody is coming out here and everyone is PR-ing, so for me I'm going out there and working my hardest, so hopefully it works out."

"I'm never really worried, I'm never worried in a final," Bolt added.

Weir has also been having an impressive championships so far, looking hardly troubled as he, too, easily qualified to the final with a 20.20 second-place finish behind USA's Curtis Mitchell, 19.97 and Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of Norway, 20.33.

"Last year, it was about being there and anything goes, but this year I want to go higher and play with fire a little bit," said Weir. "A lot of things can happen in this final tomorrow."

The Racers Track Club pair will be joined in the final by another Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade, as shades of London 2012's 200m medal triple threat lingers over the pro-Jamaican Russian support.

100m finalist Nickel Ashmeade, 20.00, was second to the line behind Young Brit Adam Gemili, 19.98, with the Netherland's Churandy Martina third in 20.13. Ashmeade is looking for a strong finish and is hopeful that his favourite event will give him something better than a fifth-place finish this time.

"Yes, it is my favourite event and I want to go higher than I did in the 100m. So I'm going out there tomorrow (today) to focus on my lane and hopefully everything will fall into place," said Ashmeade.

The men's 200m finalists will face the starter inside the Luzhniki Stadium today at 11:10 a.m. (Jamaica time).