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Maurice Greene critiques modern sprinting standards, calls conditions “easier” compared to his era.
American sprinting icon Maurice Greene, former world record holder in the 100 meters, believes today's athletes have a much smoother path to success than during his time on the track.
Greene, who once held the world record with a time of 9.79 seconds and earned four Olympic medals alongside five World Championship titles, recently shared his views on The Powells, a YouTube channel run by former rival Asafa Powell.
Greene pointed to a major difference in competition structure. In his era, sprinters were required to complete four grueling rounds to reach the podium. “It is so much easier now. I do not care. We had four rounds. That first round was early in the morning,” Greene recalled.
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Greene has slammed modern sprinters for misguided priorities despite the modern technology now in place to make them faster, which he believes have led to a lack of progression since the Usain Bolt days.
“You still gotta get up, warm up, and put the first 60 together, which takes something out of your leg.” Runners had to push hard in the semifinals to secure a favorable lane for the final, leaving them little time to recover.
Today, however, athletes face only three rounds, a shift Greene argues has simplified the path to winning medals.
A defining moment in Greene’s career came at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. There, despite sustaining a quadriceps injury just 35 meters into the race, Greene powered through to win his third consecutive 100 meters world title with a time of 9.82 seconds—then the third-fastest in history.
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Greene once ran an insane 9.82 race to win the 2001 100 meter world title despite limping to the finish line to finish ahead of Montgommery.
This victory put him alongside Carl Lewis as the only sprinters to win three consecutive world titles in the event.
Beyond structural changes, Greene voiced concerns about the influence of “video coaches” on modern sprinting techniques
In his view, many are incorrectly emulating techniques adapted by Usain Bolt, the 6’5” Jamaican legend, without considering his unique build. Greene highlighted how Bolt’s long legs forced him to place his foot at the top of the block and adjust his mechanics accordingly.
However, Greene criticized athletes who mimic this without similar physical attributes.
“You try to stay low but don’t get the full extension out of the blocks, so you don’t generate all the power you can, and therefore, you suck!.”
With his insightful critiques, Greene underscores his belief that while technology and training methods have evolved, the rigorous demands and tailored approaches of his generation brought out an unmatched level of excellence.
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