Damien Greaves

{{Short description|British hurdler (born 1977)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Use British English|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Damien Greaves | image = | image_size =  | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|9|19|df=yes}} | birth_place = Forest Gate, Greater London, England | death_date = | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = Hurdles | height = 181 cm | weight = 89 kg | club = Newham and Essex Beagles }}

'''Damien David Greaves''' (born 19 September 1977) is male former sprints and hurdling track and field athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/damien-greaves-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418025349/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/damien-greaves-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18|title=Olympic Profile|website=Sports Reference}}</ref>

== Biography == Greaves was a finalist in the European and World Championships as a junior, and progressed smoothly into senior ranks in 1997, running a best of 13.82 and becoming the British 110 metres hurdles champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1997 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=10 July 2025}}</ref>

He was consistently sub-14 in 1998 (best 13.85/13.84w) and represented England in the 110 metres hurdles event, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/kuala-lumpur-1998/athletes|title=1998 Athletes|website=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/19/all|title=England team in 1998|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=19 January 2020|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330125318/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/19/all|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1999 (13.86) when he made his second European Under-23 final after placing 2nd at the AAAs. In 2000 he had an excellent indoor season running four personal bests for 60m hurdles to 7.68 for 5th in his semi-final at the European Indoors. Outdoors he improved his best for 110mh to 13.75, 13.66w and 13.62. He was 3rd at the AAAs, but although he qualified for the second round he was unable to better 14 seconds at the Summer Olympics.

After bobsledding during the winter (17th place in World 2-man Championships), Greaves won the 2001 Scottish title in 13.70 and had a season's best 13.68 for 2nd at the AAAs. He was disqualified for two false starts in his heat at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. In 2002, he was 2nd in the AAA indoor 60m hurdles in 7.75 and went out in his heat at the European Indoors. He ran a personal best of 13.54 for 3rd at the AAAs, but fell at the first hurdle in the 2002 Commonwealth Games final and his 13.90 heat time at the European Championships was not enough to advance.

He showed top form again at the 2003 AAA Championships to regain the title in 13.66<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=10 July 2025}}</ref> and had bests of 13.68 and 13.50w in 2004. Having switched coaches from Lloyd Cowan and Colin Jackson to Mike McFarlane and lost weight, he ran a season's best of 7.68 in his heat but was slower at 7.75 for fifth in his 60mh semi-final at his fourth European Indoors in 2005. He won the 110mh at Loughborough in 13.59 but had to drop out of the European Cup team due to a trapped nerve in his back. He was disqualified for a false start in his heat at the AAAs.

Greaves narrowly missed the final when he was 5th in 13.71 in his heat at his third Commonwealth Games in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/36405|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greaves, Damien}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:English men sprinters Category:British men sprinters Category:English male bobsledders Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for England Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain Category:21st-century English sportsmen