Mo Greene says no to masters — but at least question is asked!
It used to be rare that anyone aside from moi would ask elite tracksters whether they’d consider masters track. Now the question is becoming commonplace. The latest example appears on an obscure site called Sporting Alert. Gave me a heart attack, though. They ran this headline yesterday: American Maurice Greene has plans to run in the masters. Oops, the story said the exact opposite. But I give writer Gary Smith credit (or someone at a press conference he attended) for saying the M-word. Olympic champ Maurice, the former world record holder at 100, turns 37 in July, so he’s eligible for worlds. But he’s still too elite-minded to return to Sacramento (site of his 2000 Trials glory). Maybe in a few years, he’ll realize masters isn’t about “proving yourself” but having fun.
If Mo ran masters, he'd have to tone down his act. But we'd welcome him!
Here’s the story, in case the link vanishes:
By Gary Smith, Track and Field Contributor
Published on today 1:28 p.m. CST · No CommentsOstrava, Czech Republic (Sporting Alert) — Retired American track and field sprinter Maurice Greene says he has no plans to return to the sport and race in the “Masters.”
He said he has nothing to prove to anyone.
Greene, the World 60m record holder at 6.39 seconds, is also a former world record holder over 100m and a multi Olympic and World Championships gold medallist – who now spends his time enjoying the sport.
The American is currently a guest of honor at the 50th Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic, which will be held on Tuesday.
Asked if he has any plans to compete in master division Greene replied: “No, really, I do not have to prove anything.”
And Greene holds no grudge at losing his 100m world record, which moved from Asafa Powell to his fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt, who now holds the mark at a blistering 9.58secs.
“It is OK that the sprint records change,” he said. “It means that the event is developing and nobody wants to see the same things for too long.”
Meanwhile, Greene admits that Bolt, the reigning world and Olympic sprint double champion, has been the leading-light in the sprinting events ever since he decided to take up the 100m, prior to his Beijing Olympic glory.
And the American who won the sprint double at the world championships in Sevilla in 1999, said there isn’t a lot of things that ‘impressed him in athletics’, but admits that Bolt transition has.
“There are not many things that can make me impressed in the athletics,” confessed Greene, the Sydney Olympic 100m champion in 2000.
“But one of these things was when Usain Bolt appeared at 100m. I think everybody was amazed with what he did with both world records.”
He added: “We will always get faster somehow. I do not want to estimate it. Everything is developing – the running technique, technologies and also human abilities.”
13 Responses
” masters isn’t about “proving yourself” but having fun.”
I think for many, “masters”is still about “proving yourself” :-).
Jamrich:Agree with you, Especially if YOUR FAIRLY NEW TO THE SPORT OF RUNNING
Who cares about Mo Greene or any of these formely famous guys? Missing the point again. There are plenty of great stories in our sport that could be covered. Might I mention…most of those are about people who are not setting records ….would love to see more of that. Let’s build this sport on the athletes we do have rather than waiting for Mo Greene, Roger Kingdom, or Sebastian Coe to come out of retirement.
Mo Greene, all of them they were World Champions and Olympic Champions. They got the glory of that with them forever for what they achieved in the past. But that is what they once achieved. They “were in the past” is the point. It is in the past. Us guys that go for masters we are living in the now and we can both past andcurrent and become future world and national champions and that’s the real excitement and why masters athletics and masters competitions are so fun because it can go on ad infinitum (till the end)
What Gary said!
i believe that “masters track and field ” is about having fun while proving yourself..or should i say im-proving yourself. if it were just for the fun of it we wouldn’t be keeping times or measuring distances, or heights. i especially smile when someone improves their marks as they get older…for me , at a meet, i’m taken back to the first time i smelled atomic balm as a high school freshman. i think we all applaude excellence, and when a competitor shines , to me its’s a bonus to be on the track or the runway with him or her…
Elites. and average athletes, retire but our good health DOESN’T retire. Good health must continue to ‘stay on the job’ and get us by. Inactivity will turn the good health into bad health quickly. I’m into my 7th decade of doing what we do. How have I made it this far, no prescriptions? I never stopped. That’s the key. Former athletes need to get going. Others need to become athletes or just get into exercising A LOT. Smartty
he should think about it…seen pics of him lately…he’s become as fat as his mouth!!
Well said Gary and John. Will miss you at worlds John.
I don’t think that we should welcome MoG or anyone else mentioned in the articles below and they definitely should not be working with children! However, I would be willing to reconsider if MoG wires me $10K! LOL!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3908470.ece
http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2008/05/21/athletics-heredia-jones.html
thanks Aaron..headed to O.D. on Monday for my knee again….may just have to bowl for now on…IDK 🙂
I hope that the former Willowridge Eagle/Baylor Bear track/football star gets good news from the doctor!
I saw mo Greene at the Arcadia invite this year. It was really strange to see him walking around alone…he was kind of doing his characteristic strut, side-to-side weave, but seemed to appear lost. I was one of the few who recognized him from where I was sitting.
I think it would be great to have him join in on the masters fun. It might help shape his personality a little. There’s nothing wrong with bringing in more competition.
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