02/04/2008

Associated Press

Former Olympic sprinter and Kansas City, Kan., native Maurice Greene announced his retirement on Monday.

The 33-year-old Greene made the announcement in Beijing, which is hosting this summer's Olympic Games. The American has been one of the sport's dominant figures of the past decade, winning both the 100 meters and 200 at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain.

He won a third gold medal in the 100 relay, placing him alongside Tyson Gay and Carl Lewis as one of only three men to win triple gold.

He said he planned to pursue coaching and business interests in the United States.

"It's a little sad for me but it's happy at the same time because I've had a great career. I've done a lot of great things," Greene said. "For the last couple of years, I've had nagging injuries that have stropped my training. So I think it's better to just call it quits."