With Tim Montgomery breaking the 100m world record, we look back to see how the human has got faster, and faster and.....

Thomas Burke (USA) 12 secs
Burke quite literally kicked off the trend of American sprinting dominance, showing off the unusual starting crouch position at the first Modern Games in Athens in 1896.

As well as winning the 400m, Burke grabbed gold in the 100m. Not bad for someone in a tight vest and long baggy shorts.

Donald Lippincott (USA) 10.6 secs
For the very first official 100m world record, please step forward Mr Lippincott.

It was in a heat at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, but it was hero to almost zero in the final with compatriot Ralph Craig leaving Lippincott with bronze.

Jesse Owens (USA) 10.2 secs
Arguably the greatest-ever athlete to have walked this earth. Or run, or even jumped on it.

Owens strides to glory

A year after breaking or equalling six world records in different events in the space of 45 minutes, Owens smashed the 100m time at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

German leader Adolf Hitler was not impressed with the record or the fact Owens had won four golds. The time remained unbeaten for 20 years.

Willie Williams (USA) 10.1 secs
In 1956, up stepped Willie Williams in the same stadium, on the same track and in the same lane as Owens had claimed the world record 20 years earlier.

Just over 10 seconds later, Williams became the fastest person in the world.

Jim Hines (USA) 9.95 secs

Jim Hines set for a Mexican wave

In the 1960s stopwatches were deemed old fashioned so in came the supposedly more accurate electronic timing.

James Hines powered to gold at the 1968 Mexican Olympics, with the new clock not even moving into double figures.

The magical 10 seconds had finally been broken.

Carl Lewis (USA) 9.86 secs
Three years after breaking the record in Seoul in 1988, Lewis reclaimed the world's best time at the Tokyo World Championships.

Lewis won nine Olympic golds in total, although his efforts to become a pop singer was one record he could not get to grips with.

Maurice Greene (USA) 9.79 secs

Maurice and Tim are set for more battles

Is Maurice's domination finally over? With the rise of Dwain Chambers and Montgomery's new record, it would appear to be so.

There's no doubting his number one status over the last few years, with his stunning run in Athens in 1999 and gold at Sydney at Edmonton.

But don't write him off just yet.

Tim Montgomery (USA) 9.78 secs
So Montgomery is the latest American to become the quickest person on the planet.

An ecstatic crowd at the Paris Grand Prix final on 14 September watched in awe as the numbers 9.78 appeared on the clock.

Only time can tell who's next on this magical list of record breakers.