American sprinter Maurice Greene's mouth runs almost as quickly as his legs. Since he was a young child he predicted he would someday be the fastest man in the world. Greene did little to back up his promise until the summer of 1997. It was then that he broke through, winning the men's 100-meter championship at the U.S. Track and Field Championships. Greene followed that performance by defeating world-record holder and defending Olympic champion Donovan Bailey in a classic showdown at the 1997 World Track and Field Championships in Goteburg, Sweden. After years of bragging, he actually was "The World's Fastest Man."

Growing up

Always fast

Maurice Greene was born on July 23, 1974. He was the youngest of four children of Ernest and Jackie Greene. Greene began training in track with coach Al Hobson at the age of eight. "He's like my son," Hobson explained to Sports Illustrated.

All the...