Greene was criticised for posing with the Stars and Stripes

"I have to come through the first 60 very fast, so I want to challenge myself here. I want to do something great.

"The main reason I came here is to break the world record. I know I'll be criticised if I don't do it, but people won't be able to say I didn't try."

The first two finishers in the event qualify for the US team at the World Championships in Lisbon in Portugal between 9-11 March. But Greene will not be running there.

"No worlds," he said on Thursday. "They're not in my plans."

Greene set the indoor record of 6.39 seconds at Madrid on 3 February, 1998.

He narrowly missed the record, running 6.40 in a semi-final heat during the national championships at the Georgia Dome on 27 February, 1999, then finished second to Tim Harden in the final.

Bad publicity

Greene has five of the six fastest times in the 60, but he has yet to win the national indoor title, another goal.

His 100m record is 9.79 seconds.

This will be Greene's first race since he and his winning 400-metre relay team-mates were roundly criticised at the Sydney Games last year.

They attracted the bad publicity for preening, flexing their muscles and posing with the American flag wrapped around them after winning the event.

Stacy Dragila is one of the other stars at the event

Greene admitted that the bad publicity "hurt my reputation for a while, until I got out in the public.

"Then, a lot of people said it was OK what I did," Greene added. "The biggest thing I did was apologise.

"Hopefully, it won't happen again, but you never know what's going to happen. It wasn't planned.

"A lot of people say just treat the flag with respect. I know. My father was in the Army. I love my country."

Greene is one of 11 Olympic gold medalists competing in the championships.

The event begins on Friday with finals in the women's pole vault and triple jump, and the men's and women's distance medley relay.

The other gold medalists include pole vaulter Stacy Dragila, and nine relay runners.

The remaining 28 finals will be Saturday.