Two-time silver medalist (1992 and 1996) Frankie Fredericks of Namibia also returned after missing the Sydney Games with injury.

On the United States team, along with an aging Greene (still a medal contender, but no longer as dominant as in 2000), was a young Justin Gatlin.

[2] Aruba, Jordan, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Slovenia appeared in the event for the first time.

For this event, each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was permitted to enter up to three athletes, provided they had run below 10.21 seconds during this period in IAAF-sanctioned meetings or tournaments.

A step behind, back from injuries, defending champion Maurice Greene, was fastest to react but running sideways in quicksand.

He was joined by Francis Obikwelu and Shawn Crawford, who had a slight edge on the other competitors in the center of the track.

Crawford's finish occurred two meters too late giving Greene another medal with the same time as his win four years earlier.