Grant Holloway wins the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 (© Getty Images)
Grant Holloway of the United States duly earned his 76th consecutive win over 60m hurdles in the Glasgow Arena on Saturday (2) – and it meant he was, for a second consecutive time, world indoor champion.
The three-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist equalled his championship record of 7.29 with another trademark performance – perfect start, superb transition, powerful finish – at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24. The race was his inside the first two strides.
Silver went to a jubilant Lorenzo Simonelli – the only non-automatic qualifier - in an Italian record of 7.43, with France’s Just Kwaou-Mathey earning bronze in 7.47.
Jakub Szymanski had set a Polish record of 7.46 in the semifinal, but could not quite replicate that level in the final as he clocked 7.53, finishing fifth behind Enrique Llopis of Spain by thousandths of a second.
Holloway’s compatriot Trey Cunningham also clocked 7.53, taking sixth place.
“This morning was little bit of a shake-up but to come out of here and go sub-7.3 is a good time,” Holloway said.
“I'm happy to defend my title and let's see how the rest of the year plays out - I'm looking forward to it. I had good fun out here and achieved what I wanted to. It wasn't a record but that's OK.
“I know I'm in good shape for the summer. It was my fifth world title so I'm happy to keep racking them up. I'm in great shape so I'll be ready to hit it again.”
Simonelli commented: “I never imagined I'd get this result. I came here wanting to get to the final but to come out with a silver medal is crazy. It was a fight for second place as Holloway is impossible to beat.”
The two-time champion’s win streak goes back to a second place as a 16-year-old in a high school meeting in 2014.
His winning time matched the world record he set in 2021, although he has since lowered that to 7.27.
Another world record was the only thing missing from this typically exuberant performance.
Holloway had laid down another marker earlier in winning his semifinal in 7.32, the fastest 60m hurdles time seen in Britain – before the final.
But you felt he still had a sense of the “one that got away” after the field had been recalled for a clear false start which led to the disqualification of China’s Zhu Shenglong. He had stomped back to his blocks with his shoulders shrugging and arms out.
The opening semifinal had also seen a disqualification as Spain’s Asier Martinez was penalised, although he ran the race under protest and looked as if he had finished first.
The victory went to Milan Trajkovic of Cyprus in 7.53, with Michael Obasuyi equalling the Belgian record of 7.54 and Kwaou-Mathey exactly matching that time.
Cunningham was the winner of the other semifinal in 7.49.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
| MEN'S 60m HURDLES MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Grant Holloway 🇺🇸 USA | 7.29 =CR |
| 🥈 | Lorenzo Simonelli 🇮🇹 ITA | 7.43 NR |
| 🥉 | Just Kwaou-Mathey 🇫🇷 FRA | 7.47 |
| Full results | ||
