A tired Usain Bolt and an emotionally fatigued Justin Gatlin progressed toward their second blockbuster sprint showdown of the IAAF World Championships by easing through the 200-meter heats on Tuesday.
Bolt, who beat Gatlin by 0.01 seconds to retain his 100-meter title at the Bird's Nest on Sunday, shot out of the blocks and led for the entire race before easing up over the final 15 meters to cross the line in 20.28 seconds.
The 29-year-old Jamaican said he was still feeling the effects of the 100 meters but will be looking to raise the pace in Wednesday's semifinals before peaking for Thursday's final, where he could win a fourth successive 200 meters gold.