Haughton deserves more credit –Cameron
Jamaica’s Greg Haughton doesn’t get enough credit for his time as a world-rated 400-metre man. That’s the opinion of fellow Jamaican Bert Cameron, the 1983 World Champion in the one-lap sprint.
Cameron says that Haughton, the 2000 Olympic bronze medal winner, is an athlete he admires greatly.
“I don’t believe he gets a lot of credit for his performances – four or five years of performances but he was so smooth,” he said.
Haughton’s languid strides took him to five straight World Championship 400-metre finals. He ran strongly to a third-place finish behind the American pair of Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds in the 1995 World and added bronze medals in the Olympics and the 2001 Worlds as well.
His Olympic medal came after a courageous run from Lane Eight.
“I always thought he was going to, probably, outlast all of us as quartermilers, but, you know, things happen,” he added.
That was likely a reference to the injuries that ended Greg’s career before the 2004 Olympics.
LOFTY RANKINGS
Haughton’s career also includes a 1999 Pan-American Games 400/4x400 gold medal double, and he was twice ranked number two in the world by the respected US publication TRACK AND FIELD NEWS.
The first of those lofty rankings occurred in 2001 when Bahamian World Champion Avard Moncur was number one. Haughton was again in the runner-up ranking spot a year later when his compatriot and Commonwealth champion Michael Blackwood was on top.
Cameron, the dean of Jamaican 400metre runners, stamped Haughton’s achievement with approval.
“I’ve seen him perform, and he’s one of my favourites.”
Haughton has more sub-45-second 400-metre times than any other Jamaican runner. During his career, he crossed that threshold 25 times, with a lifetime best of 44.56 seconds. He also won many honours as a member of national 4x400 metre relay teams and helped to set a still-standing Jamaican record of 2:56.75 in 1997.