Jamaica's Usain Bolt ran a world record 9.72 seconds for the 100 metres in the Reebok Grand Prix meet at the Icahn Stadium in New York on Saturday night.
Bolt, 21, lowered the previous best held by compatriot Asafa Powell, who three times ran 9.74secs.
The 6ft 5ins runner was running only his fifth 100m race and was competing in the lane next to America's 100m world champion Tyson Gay on a still night following thunder storms earlier in the evening.
Gay was second in a personal best of 9.85secs with Darvis 'Doc' Patton of the USA third in 10.07secs.
Lightning struck again with Bolt's historic run that sent a huge Jamaican contingent of fans wild with celebrations.
Bolt had set the track world buzzing on 3 May when he ran 9.76secs - the second-fastest 100m time in history - in Kingston, Jamaica, and he was earlier in the week still undecided whether he would even enter the 100m at the Jamaican Olympic trials, proclaiming himself a 200m specialist.
He now stands out in front of the pack as the fastest man in the world.
Chinese world record holder and Olympic champion Liu Xiang withdrew from the 110-metre hurdles event at the Reebok grand prix because of a tight hamstring.
Liu, who had made the meet one of only two competitions he planned between now and defending his Olympic title in Beijing, addressed Chinese supporters who came to Randall's Island to see him.
Speaking in Chinese over the public address system, Liu thanked his fans for coming and said he had felt his muscle tighten during training on Friday.
'I hope everybody will cheer for the other athletes,' Liu told the crowd, which gave him a big cheer as he waved and walked off.
Liu's only other scheduled meet is the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on 8 June.
