LONDON // Usain Bolt has admits the competition in the field for tonight's 200m could 'spoil the party' as he looks to become the first man to achieve successive 100m-200m Olympic doubles.
The Jamaican runner faces touch opposition in tonight's track showdown - not least from his training partner and countryman Yohan Blake.
But with US runner Wallace Spearmon and France's Christophe Lemaître also qualifying, the final promises a challenge for the world record holder.
"Spearmon has been here before, so he knows what it takes," said Bolt.
"There's lots of people that could spoil the party."
The Olympic record Bolt set in Beijing of 19.30 seconds is already being tipped to be broken, not least with Blake running a personal best of 19.26 prior to the Games.
And Blake, who clocked in a faster time than Bolt in the semi-finals, was confident after his performance.
"The race was a walk in the park," he said after the semi-final. "I've been working hard. All I needed to do was kick well."
Victory for the 25-year-old in Thursday's final would better the record of American legend Carl Lewis, who won three golds and a silver in the sprints at the 1984 and 1988 Games.
"People always doubt the champion but I know what I can do so I never doubt myself," said Bolt.
"The track is fast, it's going to be a good race."