Maurice Green, whose biography is described in this article, is a former holder of the world record for hundred metering. And at the moment it remains the first to run 60 meters indoors. During his career, Maurice Green has shown amazing results at official competitions more than once.
Childhood
Green Maurice was born 07/23/1973 in Kansas City. His parents, Jackie and Ernest Green, already had three children by this time. Maurice became the youngest in the family. From childhood he was attracted to sports, especially football. He dreamed of becoming a great athlete. And he didn’t even imagine that it would really come true. He will only become not a famous football player, but a sprint star.
Education
Maurice Green graduated from elementary school and then enrolled in the local Kansas City College. During training, he continued to train at the same time under the watchful guidance of Al Habson, who later became his mentor for many years.
Why was Maurice interested in the sprint?
Maurice's brother was an athlete and ran 100 and 200 meters. Green Jr. was very attached to the elder and always cheered for him in competitions, where his idol beat records one after another. Maurice was eager to start running too, like his brother, and achieve even higher rates. As a result, in addition to football, he enrolled in the athletics section in the first grade.
The first success in sports
Green Maurice tasted his first success in sports at the age of eight. At that time, he was in the fourth grade of elementary school. Participated in city competitions with fifth graders. In memory of his first victory in sports, Maurice received 3 blue ribbons for 1 place. He continued to compete in high school, overcoming short distances.
Competitions in other states
Maurice could not finish the football season in the first class, as he injured his hamstring. And in the second he completely abandoned this sport because of disagreements and disputes with the coach. After that, he completely devoted himself to athletics. A few years later, Maurice was sent to compete in Wichita.
There he won a hundred and two hundred meters between high schools. That year, he played on the Kansas City team. These victories opened up Maurice the opportunity to travel around the United States, participating in competitions between athletes.
Football and Sprint
At this time, Maurice Greene (Maurice Greene) and met with Al Hubson. He helped the athlete's career by telling him all the nuances of short-distance running. And at the end of summer, Green participated in the Youth Team. At the hundred-meter race, Maurice did not manage to win gold, but he received it for the relay. And soon the coach changed in the football section, and Maurice returned to this sport.
He was taken to the city team, but at the same time he continued to run. Green was unlucky with football. In the midst of the season, he again received an injury to his popliteal ligaments. Because of this, I had to skip several weeks of training.
Maurice strengthened his legs and back. And soon in short-distance running he won again in competitions. And in the last academic year, he broke the 100-meter record, beating it in 10.2 seconds. Faster still no one ran.
The end of a football career
As soon as Maurice Green graduated from high school, he was offered a contract by the Hutchinov football team, which played for his college. Only two weeks were left before the training camp. And his father and coach Al Hubson decided to make a conversation with Maurice. They convinced Green that in the sprint he was more likely to be the first, as he runs much better than he plays. And Maurice decided to forever leave his football career and devote himself completely to sprint. Green terminated the contract. This was the new round of a sports career in the sprint.
Take off sports career
Maurice Green, the athlete whose biography is described in this article, got his official sponsor, which was Nike. The athlete left for Missouri to receive an education, at the same time participating in competitions. Often indoors. He participated in the US Championship and World Cup for the national team.
In Barcelona, the competition was more ambitious, outside of America. But he could only take 4th place. After that, Maurice decided that by devoting himself entirely to sports, he would be able to achieve great success and become the fastest runner in the world.
The "ladder" up was not easy for Green. At several competitions, he could not get at all. His capabilities and experience were in question. Many generally predicted failures for him. But Maurice was not used to giving up so easily and decided to prove to all those who doubt him that they were wrong.
And he soon got to the national championship, where he won 2nd place in the hundred-meter race. This was a “pass” to the US national team and the opportunity to participate in the 1995 World Cup. He did not win gold in this championship, and could not even get into the finals. It was a heavy blow of defeat, which every athlete experiences at times. Not everyone can stand it. But Green stubbornly did not give up and decided for himself that 1996 would be stellar.
As a result, in April of this year, he ran a hundred-meter competition at the University of California. And again injured the hamstrings. For the third time. Because of this, he could not train in the usual format. But how could he prepare for the pre-Olympic competitions. And he was able to run a short distance in 10.8 seconds. This was the best record of his career at that time.
Tipping point, heavy burden of decisions
Maurice Green, for whom athletics became the main sport, dreamed, like all athletes, of getting into the Olympic team. But he did not succeed. He was so upset that he thought about quitting the sprint or completely retiring from the sport. But still he found the strength to fight for victory further. Maurice consulted with his father, and they decided that it was necessary to change the coach. The decision was difficult for Green. Al Hubson studied it from the age of 8. And for many years he became not just a coach, but a mentor.
Maurice chose Los Angeles and John Smith's teacher. This was the third trainer who had a strong influence on Green's career. John Smith taught Maurice all the subtleties of sprint. And as a result, in the same year, Green took part in the US Championship, which was held in Indianapolis. Maurice was finally able to take 1st place, showing a record time of 9.90 seconds.
US team and a number of next victories
After this victory, Maurice joined the US team and participated in the World Cup in Athens. These competitions have changed the life of Green. No one expected Maurice to win. He was given a forecast of only 3% to win the Championship. But he ran a hundred meters in 9.86 seconds and took 1st place.
In 1998, there were no important competitions. But the next year was the best for Green. In June, he returned to Athens and broke his 100m record, running it in 7.79 seconds. The world record previously set by Danovan Badi was broken.
A little later, in 1999, Maurice Green again won the world championships, at the same time becoming the first in the 200-meter race. He became the first to take 1st place at the World Championships in both short distances at the same time. But the peak of his career came at the Olympics, when he became the new champion, having run a hundred-meter race in 9.87 seconds. Maurice showed an excellent result in the last stage of the relay. And this victory brought him a second gold.
Maurice came to the Sydney Games as a recognized favorite. He won a new victory, beating Ato Boldon. In 2000, Green entered the Golden League and shared a 12 kg gold bar with H. El-Herroj and T. Kotova. From 1998 to 2001 Maurice was on the first line of the list for the best results in the 100-meter run.
The end of a sports career
The last time Maurice Green won gold in 2001 was at the World Championships. In early 2002, the athlete was in a serious accident, having received a leg fracture. A little later, in the same year, Green suffered from a forest fire that was raging in California. And in 2003, Green, due to a thigh injury, missed almost the entire season. And he finished this year only ninth in the list of champions.
Maurice recovered from numerous injuries that had plagued him for the past few years, only by 2004. Then he won several more victories. But previous injuries began to remind themselves more and more often. And Green appeared less and less at competitions. In 2007, Maurice took part in his last competition, the Millrose Games.
And in 2008, Green announced that he was leaving the sport. Then a small scandal erupted when Maurice was spotted buying simulating drugs. But in response he said that he did not purchase them for himself. It is worth noting that for the entire time of his sports career, Green has never been noticed in the use of doping.
Life after sports
Green Maurice, record holder, engaged in consulting athletes, but does not train them. Periodically, she is a goodwill ambassador and maintains a thematic blog on her website. At the end of his sports career, Maurice gained public fame by participating in some reality shows. And he was even able to take fifth place in the Latin American dance competition.
In 2011, he acted as an expert on the Eurosport channel. He interviewed athletes participating in the World Cup. And commented on their performances. In 2013, Maurice led a monthly program, the guests of which were famous sports stars. This was before the World Cup, which was held in Moscow.
Personal life
Green is not married. But he raises and educates his daughter Rian Alexandria. Previously met with the famous American model and actress K. Jordan. Green lives with his daughter near Los Angeles, in the Granada Hills area.