Usain Bolt looked around after 60 metres and then eased up as the triple 2008 gold medallist strolled into the blue riband 100 metres Olympic final set for later Sunday, dpa reported.
The Jamaican clocked 9.87 seconds, showing no signs of a hamstring injury that had bothered him lately. He could have easily come a closer to his world record 9.58 seconds.
American 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, back in action after a four-year doping ban, led the semi-finals with 9.82 seconds. Yohan Blake of Jamaica, the 2011 world champion after Bolt's famous disqualification, had 9.85.
The 2007 world champion Tyson Gay of the US clocked 9.90, Churandy Martina of the Netherlands 9.91, former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica 9.94, American Ryan Bailey 9.96 and Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago 10.02 to complete the eight-man lineup.