Charles Greene (athlete)
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1968 Mexico City | 4x100m relay | |
| Bronze | 1968 Mexico City | 100 metres | |
Charles Edward Greene (born March 21, 1944) is a former American athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Charles Greene was considered a sure bet to make the 1964 Olympic team, but he suffered a muscle pull that held him to a sixth place at the Olympic Trials.
Greene won the AAU championships in 100 yd in 1966 and in 100 m in 1968. At the 1968 AAU Championships, Greene broke the 100 m world record twice. First in the heats he equalled the Armin Hary's world record of 10.0, then in the semifinal he ran 9.9, the same time which was ran by Jim Hines and Ronnie Ray Smith in the same competition. As an University of Nebraska student, Greene won the NCAA championships in 100 yd from 1965 to 1967.
At the Mexico Olympics, Greene was again bothered by injuries and was third in the 100 m. Despite the injury, he led off the American 4x100 m relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record of 38.19.
Following his athletic career, Greene became an army officer, serving as sprint coach at West Point and head coach of the All-Army team. After retiring from army, he became a director for Special Olympics International.
| Olympic champions in men's 4×100 m relay |
|---|
| 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 |
| 1968 United States Charles Greene, Melvin Pender, Ronnie Ray Smith & Jim Hines |
