Greene is in a league of his own

A league of his own. That's right. The rest tried to draw comfort from the fact that American runner-up Tim Montgomery ran him down desperately close in 9.85sec at the finish as Greene's knee injury, worsened by the fact that it had already been jolted by three false starts, began to affect him over the final, painful five strides. If he had been fit, he insisted fairly matter-of-fact, he would probably have clocked 9.77sec, a new world record. Boldon, fourth in 9.98sec, did not doubt it.

Greene does not know how to lose. He would, he said, rather have killed himself than surrender. "Fifteen metres from the finish, I felt a pinch in my quad, but I said to myself 'I won't let that stop me', then I felt something in my hamstring go. But when you want something so bad, you put everything on the line."

Somebody mentioned Lewis and he gave the wry smile of someone who knows better than to have a dig at an icon, even if that icon has been fairly grudging in his admiration for Greene. "Well, Carl Lewis was a great athlete, a great competitor and for me to equal what he's done is wonderful. I've wanted to be known as the greatest 100m sprinter ever - and maybe now my name will start getting mentioned alongside his." Then he added "only time will tell", as if he did not really believe it ever would.

But perhaps Greene is gradually battering us all into submission. He may never match Lewis's sheer balletic grace, but his rippling power, control and balance remains an awesome sight. Consistency is his key, and it has reached the point when his opponents begin to feel he has an invincible aura about him.

Two Americans followed him home - Montgomery and Bernard Williams (a lifetime best, 9.94sec) - to restore traditional US supremacy. Greene was reminded of the Atlanta Olympics of 1996 when he failed to make the team and watched in tears from the stands as not a single US sprinter finished in the first three of the blue riband event. "I always wanted to put US sprinting back on top where it belongs, and now it's happened with a clean sweep, it feels great," he said.

Not so great for us Brits, though. Chambers's chances were effectively buried from the moment he was unluckily saddled with a lane eight draw, even though he'd finished as fourth fastest qualifierbut in truth he had not looked quite in his sharpest form all weekend.

"Considering what I've been through this season with injuries, I couldn't complain. I gave it my best shot," shrugged the Londoner. "But I couldn't let either the false starts nor the lane eight draw affect me. I wasn't upset. Maybe I would have been in with much more of a chance of a medal if I'd got an inside draw, but nobody would have beaten Greene."

For Chambers, there is now the nagging knowledge that in his last three global championship races, he has gone from third to fourth to fifth. "But I just have to keep remaining confident as long as I can. I've got time and talent on my side." At 23, that is unquestionably true but the gap gets no closer.

At least, for both Chambers and Christian Malcolm, the young Welshman who also surpassed himself to finish seventh in a lifetime best 10.11sec, there was at least some vague consolation in that Greene's injuries have now forced him to pull out of the 200m heats tonight. That race now looks wide open, with both Britons still fancying their chances.

"With Maurice out, now it's a different ball game," said Malcolm, looking forward to his specialist event. "Having run faster than ever at 100, I feel really confident." The British sprint relay quartet will also be given a new lease of life if Greene is forced to pull out of the US foursome. "I won't let my ego get in the way. I'll drop out if I think my presence will jeopardise their chances," he said.

As for the 100 metres though, there is no evidence that one of the most impressive reigns in athletics annals is any nearer to being overthrown. How long would it last? "As long as I stay in shape and as long as the good Lord lets me compete, that's how long," he smiled and you could almost hear the sighs of dismay in the call room.