World record holder Tim Montgomery failed to make the 100 metres team for next month's Olympics when he finished a lowly seventh in the U.S. trials on Sunday.

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With three places in Athens up for grabs, reigning Olympic champion Maurice Greene lived up to his claim of being the world's greatest sprinter by winning the race in 9.91 seconds.

Securing the other berths were former world indoor 60 metres champion Justin Gatlin, who clocked 9.92 seconds to finish second, and his training partner Shawn Crawford, third in 9.93 seconds.

Coby Miller finished fourth in 9.99 seconds.

Montgomery, who has been charged with a doping offence by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), never was a factor, clocking 10.13 seconds.

The loss came a day after Montgomery's partner, triple Olympic champion Marion Jones, failed to make the team in the women's 100 metres with a fifth-place finish.

"This is the reason I didn't win," Montgomery said to a horde of reporters chasing him away from the stadium.

"I got y'all on my back ... every day."

FACES BAN

Montgomery faces a lifetime ban if found guilty of a doping offence by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but he defiantly told the media: "This ain't my last race."

The 100 metres was Montgomery's only event at the trials and he is unlikely to be selected for the 4x100 metres relay team because of his poor finish.

Jones, however, will have opportunities to qualify for Athens in the long jump and 200 metres later in the trials.

Greene used a solid start to take control of the race.

He held off Gatlin and Crawford at the finish as they tried to out-lean the upright winner.

"He's the master in the sprints," said Trevor Graham, Gatlin and Crawford's coach.

Olympic pole vault champion Nick Hysong missed out on a return trip to the Games after the Sydney gold medallist could only finish fifth at 5.75 metres.

Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson and Derek Miles claimed the three spots, with Mack topping 5.90 metres for the victory.

FAST HURDLES

Another Sydney Olympic champion, Angelo Taylor, made the team.

He finished second in the 400 metres hurdles in 48.03 seconds, behind James Carter, who won in 47.68 seconds.

Collegiate champion Sheena Johnson ran the fastest women's 400 metres hurdles in the world this year, 52.95 seconds, to stamp herself as an Athens contender.

World long jump champion Dwight Phillips also looked like the person to beat in Athens as he leapt 8.28 metres for the victory.

World champion Jerome Young and twins Alvin and Calvin Harrison, all who have been associated with doping cases, were among 16 advancing to the 400 metres semi-finals.

Young, whom the CAS recently ruled should not have competed in the 2000 Olympics because of a positive doping test a year earlier, finished third in his heat in 44.93 seconds.

Calvin Harrison clocked 45.22 seconds to win his heat while Alvin ran 45.43 seconds to qualify as a fastest loser in Young's heat.

Both Harrisons face doping hearings.