Maurice Greene — 9.79 seconds

American Maurice Greene set the 100m world record of 9.79 seconds in Athens in 1999 — a mark that stood for six years and was the first sub-9.80 performance by a non-Jamaican. The 2000 Olympic champion and 1997 and 1999 World champion was the most dominant sprinter of his era and mentored a generation of US track talent as a coach.