Greene, three-time World 100m champion, announces retirement

Maurice Greene, the three-time 100m World champion and 2000 Olympic 100m gold medallist, has announced his retirement from the sport.
Finally succumbing to a string of nagging injuries that have hindered the former World record holder in recent years, the 33-year-old Kansas City native has decided to move on.

"Injuries are every sprinter's worst nightmare, and I seem to have been constantly fighting them for the past three seasons," Greene said. "So I have decided to retire from competing in the sport which I love and which has given me so much over this past decade."

"It is now more than 11 years since I packed my bags and, with the help of my father, drove to Los Angeles in a bid to fulfill my sprinting dreams," Greene said. "Never, then, would I have thought that it would be an adventure that would last so long, delivering Olympic gold medals, World titles and World records along the way. Now, though, I have reached journey's end."

Two years after failing to advance from the second round at the 2005 World Championships in Gothenburg, Greene won the 2007 World title in 9.86 in Athens. He defended his title two years later in Seville, and added the 200m title to his rapidly growing collection, becoming the first man to take the sprint double at a World Championships. He began his 1999 campaign with a victory in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Maebashi, Japan. On 16-June of that year, he became the first man to dip under 9.80, lowering the World record to 9.79 in Athens. His record would stand for six years.

In 2000, he produced the five fastest performances of the season, and in Sydney fulfilled his Olympic dream with a 9.87 victory. He later anchored the U.S. to victory in the 4x100m Relay.

His dominance continued at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton where, despite being visibly hobbled by quadricep and hamstring injury over the waning metres of the race, he collected a third world crown, clocking a remarkable 9.82.

Although injuries continued to nag him, he continued training and competing. He won the 100m at the 2004 Olympic Trials and later took Olympic bronze in Athens.

He still holds the 60m World record indoors, clocking 6.39 twice, first in 1998 and again in 2001.

In all, Greene has produced a staggering 52 sub-10 second performances in the 100m, by far the most by any athlete.

For more on Greene's career, visit HSI.net.

IAAF