American sprinter Tyson Gay will attempt to break one of the oldest world records still on the books when he competes in Manchester on May 16.

The former world 100m and 200m world champion is among the top names competing at the Great City Games.

And Gay has sights set on the 200m best performance on a straight track when he races down Deansgate. Indeed, he will do so under the gaze of the man who set the mark 44 years ago - legendary compatriot Tommie Smith.

Smith scorched to a time of 19.5secs on a cinder track in San Jose, Texas. Last year, Gay, 28, ran the 200m around a turn in New York in a time of 19.58secs, which has only been surpassed by Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson.

"Given the advantage there will be no bend, I'm almost certain Tyson, unless the weather spoils the attempt, will surpass Smith's long-standing performance," said Andy Caine, the meeting's elite athlete manager.

Gay recently completed another unique feat when winning the 400m at the Tom Jones Classic in Gainesville on April 17. His time of 44.89sec saw him become the first man in history to go under 10sec for the 100m, 20sec for the 200m and 45sec over 400m.

"He's clearly in great shape and he'll add to his strength training when again racing over 400m at the Jamaican International meeting in Kingston on Saturday," added Caine.

Smith won the 1968 Olympic 200m gold medal when becoming the first sprinter to crash under the 20sec with a mark of 19.83sec at altitude in Mexico.

Despite that milestone feat, the 65-year-old Texan is best remembered for the Black Power salute he and fellow countryman John Carlos, who was third, enacted at the medal presentation.

Their civil rights protest saw the pair mount the podium shoeless but wearing black socks to signify black poverty.

Smith wore a black scarf representing black pride while Carlos unzipped his tracksuit to show solidarity with blue collar workers in the United States.

Both athletes were expelled from the Olympiad for their protests in the direction of Avery Brundage, the International Olympic Committee president at the time.

The Great City Games programme will also see Olympic 400m gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu competing over 150m, while Sanya Richards-Ross, who succeeded her as world champion last summer, will run in the 200m.

Ohuruogu, runner-up a year ago when she set the first of her two UK records for the distance, will go head-to-head for the first time with fellow Brit Jessica Ennis, the world heptathlon and pentathlon title holder.

Will Gay break the record? Have your say. Tweet