Maurice Greene retires from athletics

Maurice Greene announced his retirement from athletics on Monday. The former track and field record holder arrived in Beijing among a group of the world's top athletes.

Maurice Greene, former US world and Olympic champion in the
100m and 200m sprints, poses in Beijing, where he said he
would not be competing in the 2008 Games and that his future
would probably be in coaching. The veteran Greene, who won
the 100m and 200m gold in Sydney in 2000, said that he was
sad he would not race here in August but felt the United States
had a worthy successor in Tyson Gay. AFP/Frederic J.Brown)

Greene, a double Olympic gold medal winner and former world record holder for the 100 meter sprint, announced his retirement from the sport. The thirty-three year old won Olympic 100 meter gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, and was the first man to win the 100 and 200 meter titles at a single world championships in Seville in 1999. Greene said a calf injury which he suffered during training convinced him to end his career.

Maurice Greene, 100M & 200M World Champion said "I thinks its just better off for me to call it quits now and not keep having that mental battle with myself and just, you know, let other people in the sport flourish and, you know, pass it on to someone else."