Noah Lyles did not just ease into the men’s 200-meter final at the world championships.

The three-time defending champion delivered a statement to the rest of the field.

Lyles ran a world-leading 19.51 seconds to easily qualify for Friday’s final, where he will attempt to join Jamaican legend Usain Bolt as the only men to win the 200-meter world title four straight times.

The American star ran hard over all 200 meters and exploded out of the turn on his way to the finish line.

“We were trying to make the statement that you’re not going to beat me off the turn for these next two races,” Lyles said. “I thought I heard Zharnel (Hughes) breathing, so I was like, yeah, ‘I’m not getting caught by Zharnel.’ So I decided to keep up the pace until we had like 20 meters left, and I was like, ‘OK, I think I should be safe enough now.’”

Britain’s Hughes, who also qualified for the final, was second in the heat at 19.95 seconds.

Lyles beat the fastest time of the season — his own run of 19.63 during the U.S. championships in August — during a semifinal heat. Which raises the question: how much faster can he go with the world title on the line?

“That tells me that I was stupid enough to run 9.5 in the semi,” he said. “But I mean, it also tells me that I’m ready to kick it up a notch.”

Jamaica’s Bryan Levell ran the second-fastest time in the semifinals at 19.78 seconds to win his heat ahead of Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who qualified with a 19.95.

Levell, who ran before Lyles, was asked about going up against the American in the final.

“It’s going to be a good one,” he said. “He’s a great competitor.”

Tebogo said he wanted to test the curve ahead of the final and was satisfied with his performance.

“I don’t know how the coach is going to feel about it, but I felt like I ran it better than yesterday," he said. "Then tomorrow, just combine the two, then just make a perfect race.”

American Kenny Bednarek qualified with a time of 19.88.

Despite running such a fast time, Lyles said he was not worried about being able to recover ahead of Friday’s final.

“I’m in shape,” he said. “I’ll just say, I’m probably going to be screaming in my hotel room for my massage, but I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”