Track Star Maurice Greene: Don't Drug Test The Past ... The Sport Can't Take It

Two-time gold medal winner Maurice Greene says drug testing past samples could RUIN track & field ... 'cause the sport can't handle a constant barrage of doping scandals.

Usain Bolt was stripped of a gold medal this week when it was revealed a teammate tested positive for a banned substance ... from a sample that was taken in 2008 and recently retested.

We talked with Green -- one of the premier sprinters in U.S. history -- who said it's dangerous to go poking around in the past looking for mistakes.

"What good is it gonna do now? The thing you have to realize is other sports recover very quickly from drug situations, but track & field has a hard time recovering."

As far as Bolt ... Greene made it clear, this scandal will have ZERO effect on his legacy.