Jamaica&rsquo;s Ackera Nugent is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. The 22-year-old&rsquo;s drive and determination was demonstrated again at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, where she claimed 60m hurdles bronze in a race of record depth.
Fuelled with desire, Nugent had arrived in China as one of the title favourites. A few days later she stood alongside winner Devynne Charlton and silver medallist Ditaji Kambundji on the podium &ndash; a remarkable achievement considering the dramatic circumstances that led to Nugent&rsquo;s qualification for the final.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Jamaican record-holder had averted disaster in the semifinals as she managed to stay on her feet despite hitting the final hurdle hard &ndash; so much so that the top of the barrier came completely away from the frame.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I hit the second and fifth hurdles and still stayed up straight,&rdquo; she reflected. &ldquo;Most people would have gone down or given up, but I held my composure. To know I was able to put it together in the final was a great feeling. I have a lot of faith in God; all I needed to do was trust the process. It was my destiny.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67fe839b222171aa5f64a896.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent races in the 60m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25" />
Ackera Nugent races in the 60m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
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While attending Excelsior High School, her primary focus was food management as she wanted to become a chef. Track took over but Nugent did not enjoy an easy passage to the top. Before leaving high school, she committed to getting a solid education while excelling in athletics.
&ldquo;Growing up in Jamaica was never easy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I grew up in a single-parent home, and my inspiration was to go to college. When I saw my mom crying because she did not have the money to afford my airfare, I decided that I would never put her in that position again. After passing my SATs, I arrived at college after my mom got assistance from others. I honestly didn&rsquo;t enjoy college life because I was more focused on not wasting the money invested in me and, more importantly, making my mom proud.&rdquo;
But the young Jamaican proved that academics and athletics can be a successful marriage. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in communication and media studies. The three-time NCAA champion had previously spent her first two years in college at Baylor University.&nbsp;&nbsp;
From an early age, Nugent aspired to do great things and demonstrate to the next generation that they could aim for the sky and not think about limitations. She set a world U20 60m hurdles record of 7.92 in March 2021 and became the world U20 100m hurdles champion in Nairobi a few months later. She joined the professional ranks in 2023, signing with Adidas.
A year later, Nugent was at a crossroads, with her track and field future hanging in the balance.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Last year, I was losing the love for the sport,&rdquo; she revealed. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t feeling the sport and didn&rsquo;t want to do it anymore. I didn&rsquo;t belong.&rdquo;&nbsp;
She added that after stepping back for a moment and upon careful reflection, she saw the lens of life, which came down to two important days &ndash; the day you were born and the day you discovered why.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Nowadays, I am starting to put myself first and am figuring out who I am outside of the sport,&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;I am growing in faith and living by my motto that my God will accelerate my dreams, and that&rsquo;s what keeps me grounded and going.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61210250e8797f76236e9dc1.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent on her way to the 100m hurdles title in Nairobi" />
Ackera Nugent on her way to the world U20 100m hurdles title in Nairobi (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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Unbeknown to many, Nugent arrived at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games having tweaked a nerve in her back, which prevented her from training for four days as there was no movement.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My first hurdles practice was the heats,&rdquo; she explained. &ldquo;After crashing out, I wasn&rsquo;t mad, sad or depressed about the Olympics. Although I was in good shape, it just didn&rsquo;t happen, and I realised it was not my time. I have 15 more years to go.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Following Paris, Nugent salvaged her season on the Diamond League circuit. There, she started chopping her times until she became the world leader and her country&rsquo;s national record-holder with an astonishing 12.24 clocking in Rome that made her the fourth-fastest woman of all time.
Her achievements have not gone unnoticed.
Nugent recalled how, at the Grand Slam Track launch in Los Angeles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had walked over to her and said: &lsquo;Hi Ackera, I&rsquo;m so proud of you.&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I cried,&rdquo; said Nugent, who explained that she was unaware that McLaughlin-Levrone, the world 400m hurdles record-holder, had taken notice of her performances over the years and likewise admired her passion and abilities. &ldquo;I was so surprised, and I said: &lsquo;You know me?&rsquo; She hugged me, and I cried more.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66d247043349602ff23c3f1e.jpg" alt="Ackera Nugent wins the 100m hurdles in Rome" />
Ackera Nugent wins the 100m hurdles in Rome (&copy; Matthew Quine)
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Just like McLaughlin-Levrone, Nugent is a multi-talented athlete who can seamlessly switch to other events outside of her signature discipline. One such event is the 100m, for which she has a PB of 11.09. As a result, she relishes the opportunity provided by the Grand Slam Track series to compete over the 100m as well as in the 100m hurdles.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I loved the 100m since high school, but I guess I was better at the hurdles,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I do look forward to doing both events.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
She opened her outdoor season in front of a home crowd at the Kingston leg of the Grand Slam Track series and was pleased with her effort. &ldquo;It was my first race over 10 hurdles this season, so running 12.7 is a really good start for me,&rdquo; she explained.
Already a world U20 champion and senior world indoor medallist, Nugent has her sights set on becoming an outdoor global champion at senior level. She knows it is not an easy road, but her unrelenting determination to succeed has led to her dreaming of overcoming all obstacles along the way.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I believe to become a world or Olympic champion, I must do two things,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The first is to learn how to control my speed between the hurdles. Once I tweak some things to get the required control, it&rsquo;s over because I have great top-end speed. The second is finding my happy place in the sport again.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Nugent, who turns 23 later this month, is not someone to walk in fear and trepidation. Her competitive nature does not allow that mindset. She takes on each challenge with gusto, verve and enthusiasm.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I have been doing this since I was 15 and have held world records at a very young age,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This is a platform that I&rsquo;ve been at; there&rsquo;s nobody that has done what I&rsquo;ve done at my age, and I can only get better. I have to believe that for myself.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Noel Francis for World Athletics

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent is no stranger to overcoming obstacles

"It was my destiny" – Nugent's path to the world indoor podium

World record-holder Devynne Charlton successfully defended her 60m hurdles title, winning a thrilling race of record depth in 7.72 at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25.
Before this world indoor final, the record number of athletes finishing under 7.80 in a single race was three. In Nanjing the top six all beat that mark, Ditaji Kambundji dipping for silver in 7.73 and Ackera Nugent getting bronze in 7.74.
The top six were separated by just 0.04. Pia Skrzyszowska was fourth in a Polish record of 7.74, USA&rsquo;s Grace Stark was fifth in the same time and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands was sixth in 7.76.
That time of 7.76 would have been enough to win 15 of the past 20 editions of the World Indoor Championships.
The field for the final was stacked.&nbsp;
Charlton got a great start and while her rivals tried hard to chase her down, the Bahamian held them off by only hundredths of a second to secure her second successive world indoor title, and her third world indoor medal overall after her silver from 2022.
Switzerland&rsquo;s Kambundji started as the fastest in the world this year thanks to the 7.67 European indoor record she set to win her European indoor title earlier this month &ndash; a time just 0.02 off the world indoor record set by Charlton at last year&rsquo;s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.&nbsp;
This time they were just 0.01 apart, with Jamaica&rsquo;s Nugent following a further hundredth behind.
Nugent denied Skrzyszowska a medal by three thousandths of a second, though the 2024 world indoor bronze medallist did leave with the national record to her name.
&ldquo;It was a big deal for me to come here and show up, defend my title,&rdquo; said Charlton, who was eighth on the list of entries for Nanjing on season's best but peaked when it mattered the most. &ldquo;It was a big goal for me. It wasn't looking great, but I trusted the people around me and I was able to pull it off.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's definitely super hard to defend a title at an event like this. The women always show up. To come away with a win against these ladies, it's really cool.&rdquo;
Nugent had averted disaster in the semifinals as she managed to stay on her feet despite hitting the final hurdle hard &ndash; so much so that the top of the barrier came completely away from the frame.
She managed to finish second in a race won by Skrzyszowska &ndash; 7.79 to 8.00. Visser won her semifinal in 7.81 to Charlton&rsquo;s 7.82, while the third semifinal was won by Stark in 7.72 from Kambundji on 7.76.
China&rsquo;s Wu Yanni missed out on a place in the final by just 0.01 but will take consolation from setting a national record of 8.01 &ndash; a time that places her fourth on the Asian all-time list &ndash; in front of a passionate home crowd.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 60m HURDLES MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Devynne Charlton (BAH)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">7.72 SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Ditaji Kambundji (SUI)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">7.73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Ackera Nugent (JAM)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">7.74 SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/nanjing25/results/women/60-metres-hurdles/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Report on the women's 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25

Charlton retains 60m hurdles title in race of record depth in Nanjing

Grant Holloway won his third successive world indoor 60m hurdles title, taking gold in Nanjing in 7.42 to extend his 11-year winning streak.
After some close races through the rounds, Holloway was a class apart in the final, winning by 0.12 from France's Wilhem Belocian. China's Liu Junxi was just a further 0.01 behind, taking bronze in 7.55.
The dominance of the 27-year-old US athlete was never in doubt, having clocked a world lead of 7.36 in Lievin last month. Here in Nanjing he raced to times of 7.49 and 7.48 to top the standings in the heats and semis.
In the final, the reigning Olympic champion was a tad slow out of the blocks but quickly recovered to distinguish himself from the rest of the field to claim his third consecutive world indoor gold. His winning time of 7.42 was 0.15 shy of his own world indoor record, but he still won by a comfortable margin and his 11-year winning streak doesn&rsquo;t look to be in danger.
With his victory in Nanjing, the three-time world outdoor champion is only the second man in World Indoors history to claim three 60m hurdles titles, following the footsteps of his compatriot Allen Johnson who claimed gold in 1995, 2003 and 2004 respectively. Holloway, however, is the first man to claim three consecutive titles in the event.
&ldquo;It was great,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This one was a little bit different. I didn't have two great rounds, and had to rely on my experience to get me through the final. But I knew what I had to do; I knew what I was missing. Everybody was telling me, &lsquo;you've done this a million times before, you just got to do it again&rsquo;.
&ldquo;To win three indoors, and three outdoors, I think I'm the first person in history to ever do that. That's an amazing stat. Also, I think I can put grace in it, and hang up the 60m hurdles and try out a new event next year. That's something I can think about.&rdquo;
For Frenchman Belocian who claimed the silver medal, his position in Nanjing is certainly an upgrade from his eighth place in Belgrade in 2022 and the first senior global medal for the 29-year-old who recently won another silver at the European Indoor Championships.
China&rsquo;s Liu Junxi gave the home crowd something to cheer for by snatching the bronze medal in the keenly contested race. The host country had two representatives in the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles final, with national indoor champion Weibo Qin finishing eighth in a time of 7.72.
Yemi Galadima for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S 60m HURDLES MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Grant Holloway (USA)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">7.42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Wilhem Belocian (FRA)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">7.54</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Liu Junxi (CHN)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">7.55</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/nanjing25/results/men/60-metres-hurdles/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Report on the men's 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25

Holloway wins third world indoor 60m hurdles title in Nanjing

It&rsquo;s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter.
The US hurdler went to high school in Potomac, the Maryland town that was once home to Sylvester Stallone, star of the Rocky movies, and Mike Tyson, a real-life heavyweight boxing champion.
&ldquo;Home is Upper Marlboro, Maryland, but I commuted to Bullis School in Potomac every day for four years,&rdquo; says Russell, who showed her own fighting qualities in the scrap for the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris.
The 24-year-old slugged her way into contention off the final barrier in the Stade de France in August, delivering the knockout blow to the big home hope with her lunge for the line.
Russell prevailed in 12.33 - 0.01 ahead of the French athlete Cyrena Samba-Mayela, with defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico third in 12.36.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713855356176242626605dd.jpg" alt="Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris" />
Masai Russell dips to win the Olympic 100m hurdles title in Paris (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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It was not the only gold medal success for Bullis in the French capital. Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old prodigy in the victorious US men&rsquo;s 4x400m squad, happens to be a current student at the independent high school in Potomac.
For Russell, her narrow triumph in the 100m hurdles final was a fifth and final victory of a marathon outdoor season that stretched to 22 races, including heats, semifinals and finals. Her other four wins came in her Olympic heat and in the three rounds she negotiated at the US trials in Eugene in June.
That she emerged victorious from the two meetings out of 15 that mattered the most tells you a lot about the battling spirit of the Marylander who started her track career as a 400m hurdler, clocking 57.55 for bronze at the Pan American U20 Championships back in 2017.
Russell won as many races &ndash; five out of 11 &ndash; during an indoor season which culminated in the disappointment of missing out on a spot on the world indoor 60m hurdles podium by one place and 0.02.
Having started 2024 with four goals written down &ndash; world indoor record, world indoor title, Olympic title and world outdoor record &ndash; she saw the first two claimed by her training partner, the Bahamian Devynne Charlton taking gold in Glasgow in 7.65 ahead of Samba-Mayela (7.74) and Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska (7.79).
&ldquo;It was pretty devastating,&rdquo; reflects Russell, who crossed the line fourth in 7.81.
&ldquo;I missed out on a medal by just being leaned out but I wasn&rsquo;t going to make the same mistake in the outdoor season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been amazing to see the transition from indoors to out.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713857c56176242626605e0.jpg" alt="Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris" />
Masai Russell celebrates with her training partner Devynne Charlton in Paris (&copy; Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
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That transition took place at the elite hurdles factory of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, also the alma mater of fellow global gold medal winners Camacho-Quinn, Kendra Harrison and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, as well as Daniel Roberts, runner-up to Grant Holloway in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in Paris.
Russell and Charlton are guided by Rolando &ldquo;Lonnie&rdquo; Greene, the Bahamian head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s been my coach from the jump, since coming into Kentucky as an 18-year-old,&rdquo; says Russell.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s such a relentless coach. I&rsquo;ve progressed every single year underneath him, on his programme.&rdquo;
Russell first broke 13 seconds with 12.90 in 2021 and has since improved to 12.71 in 2022, 12.36 in 2023 and now 12.25 in 2024.
That 12.25 came in the final at the US Olympic trials. It puts Russell joint fifth on the world all-time list.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just super-promising that I&rsquo;ve got better every single year under Coach Greene,&rdquo; she continues.
&ldquo;It makes me so happy to know what my future has to hold &ndash; being as young as I am, not being as strong as I could possibly be. I know my ceiling&rsquo;s super-high with a coach like that.&rdquo; 
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #b68cff;">
<h2>Global champions in the women's high hurdles</h2>
Not since Australia&rsquo;s Sally Pearson followed world indoor glory in Istanbul with Olympic gold in London in 2012 has there been a back-to-back global champion in the two women&rsquo;s high hurdles events.
Although USA's Nia Ali won successive 60m hurdles titles indoors, in 2014 and 2016, Jamaica&rsquo;s Danielle Williams claimed world 100m hurdles gold outdoors in between.
2024 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Masai Russell (USA) 2024 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Devynne Charlton (Bahamas) 2023 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2022 World Championships 100m hurdles: Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) 2022 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Cyrena Samba-Mayela (France) 2021 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) 2019 World Championships 100m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2018 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Kendra Harrison (USA) 2017 World Championships 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2016 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2016 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2015 World Championships 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams (Jamaica) 2014 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Nia Ali (USA) 2013 World Championships 100m hurdles: Brianna Rollins (USA) 2012 Olympic Games 100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia) 2012 World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Australia)
Only two women have won successive 100m hurdles world titles: USA's Gail Devers (1993 and 1995) and Michelle Perry (2005 and 2007).
The only woman to have won&nbsp;successive high hurdles titles&nbsp;in the Olympic arena is Australia&rsquo;s Shirley Strickland in the 80m hurdles (1952 and 1956).
</div>
 In international terms, Russell is still a relative novice in the high hurdles. The 400m hurdles was still her main event two years ago.
She finished sixth in the 400m hurdles final at the 2022 US Championships, clocking 55.66, and fourth in a semifinal of the 100m hurdles in 12.76.
It was not until last year that Coach Greene had Russell concentrating on the high hurdles. She finished third at the US Championships and made the semifinals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, crashing out after hitting hurdles two and three.
On reflection, she considers her success in this year&rsquo;s Olympic trials as her break-out achievement.
Russell scorched home at Hayward Field in 12.25, ahead of Alaysha Johnson (12.31), Grace Stark (12.31), Nia Ali (12.37), Tonea Marshall (12.38) and Harrison (12.39).
&ldquo;I was way more stressed making the team in the trials than actually being on the line in the Olympic final,&rdquo; she says.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no Olympics if you don&rsquo;t get through the US trials. And the US trials is like the Olympics within itself.
&ldquo;That was the fastest-run women&rsquo;s 100 hurdles. And the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles is the most competitive event in track and field.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all so close and so talented. Whoever has the cleanest race on the day, they&rsquo;re probably going to win.
&ldquo;I think 12 women have run 12.30s this year. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s ever been done in history&hellip; It&rsquo;s pretty sick.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6713867cb5060fe7563222bf.jpg" alt="Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title" />
Masai Russell on her way to the US 100m hurdles title (&copy; Getty Images)
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Indeed, 12 women have run under 12.40 in 2024, six of them in that stunning US final - and that adds up to a historical high by some margin.
In 2023 the total was seven. In 2022 it was six. Prior to that no more than two women had broken 12.40 in any year.
In addition to the intense competition, Russell also has to contend with the tide of history as she looks towards 2025, with the lure of world titles indoors and out, and towards a home Olympics in 2028.
In the cut and thrust of the women&rsquo;s high hurdles, she has become the 14th different consecutive global champion.
Yet Russell maintains she still has her sights on the targets she set at the start of 2024.
&ldquo;My goal is to be the world indoor record-holder, the world indoor champ, world outdoor record-holder, world outdoor champ - and Olympic champ again,&rdquo; she insists.
&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m not shooting to be the best ever in the sport, then what am I doing?
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying to build a legacy for those who look up to me: the little girls who don&rsquo;t believe they&rsquo;re big enough or strong enough to do it.
&ldquo;I know that they can. I want to be that person for them.&rdquo;
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

It’s hardly surprising that Masai Russell is a fighter

Russell's Olympic title win launches legacy in the making

Andrew Pozzi, who won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in 2018, has announced his retirement.
During his 15-year international career, Pozzi also became a European indoor champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist. He competed at three editions of the Olympic Games and had been due to be named as part of Great Britain and Northern Ireland&rsquo;s team for Paris, but declined his selection due to injury.
&ldquo;Injury has always been my greatest competitor over the last 17 years and whilst my history has been littered with serious difficulty, I am most proud of the resilience that I&rsquo;ve shown and the achievements that I&rsquo;ve amassed following such heartbreaks,&rdquo; he wrote in a statement on social media. &ldquo;I have never shied away from difficult, nor seemingly impossible, tasks.&rdquo;
Pozzi made his global championship debut in 2009 when he reached the semifinals of the 110m hurdles at the World U18 Championships in Bressanone. He claimed his first major medal two years later, securing silver at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn.
He just missed a medal when making his senior international debut the following season, finishing fourth behind Aries Merritt, Liu Xiang and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.&nbsp;
His Olympic debut came on home soil in London later that year, but injury struggles followed. He returned to international competition in 2014, gaining another fourth-place finish at the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, and he reached the semifinals of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Pozzi secured his first senior major gold in Belgrade in 2017, winning the European indoor 60m hurdles crown, and he followed that with his world indoor title win in front of home fans in Birmingham in 2018.
European indoor silver followed in Torun in 2021, the year he secured seventh place at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and Pozzi achieved further success on home soil when he claimed Commonwealth Games 110m hurdles bronze in Birmingham in 2022.
&ldquo;I have decided that now is the right time for me to retire from professional athletics,&rdquo; added the 32-year-old, who recently sustained a serious ankle fracture. &ldquo;This is a profoundly sad moment, but also one that I can embrace fully, with the knowledge that I have approached every minute of my time in this sport with uncompromising focus, resolute determination and the highest of standards.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Andrew Pozzi, who won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in 2018, has announced his retirement

2018 world indoor 60m hurdles champion Pozzi retires

Women&rsquo;s world indoor 60m hurdles record 7.65 Devynne Charlton (BAH) Glasgow, 3 March 2024
Women&rsquo;s world marathon record (women-only) 2:16:16 Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) London, 21 April 2024 
World records set earlier this year by Devynne Charlton and Peres Jepchirchir have now been ratified by World Athletics.
In Glasgow on 3 March, Bahamian hurdler Charlton lowered the 60m hurdles world record to 7.65 as she secured her first global title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Charlton had previously shared the world record of 7.67 with Tia Jones of the United States. Charlton achieved that mark in New York on 11 February before Jones matched it in Albuquerque just five days later.
&ldquo;This means a whole lot because I have set myself goals,&rdquo; Charlton said after improving the record by another 0.02 in Glasgow. &ldquo;I have not changed my technique much &ndash; just a few tweaks &ndash; but I have been working hard off the track, making sure my mental health is good and working with a sports psychologist.
&ldquo;Just taking care of myself. Indoors really plays well to my skillset too.&rdquo;
The following month, Kenya&rsquo;s Jepchirchir also rewrote the record book as she ran 2:16:16 to improve the women-only world marathon record by 45 seconds at the TCS London Marathon.
The field for the World Athletics Platinum Label race on 21 April was widely regarded as one of the deepest and highest-quality women&rsquo;s fields ever assembled and no secret had been made of the fact that breaking Mary Keitany&rsquo;s women-only world record of 2:17:01 was the big target.
Ultimately, Jepchirchir was the one to achieve it. Seven women had remained in the pack as they reached the half-way point in 1:07:04 &ndash; the second-fastest half-way split ever recorded in London and a mark that put them on schedule to smash the record by almost three minutes.
Jepchirchir went on to win in 2:16:16, finishing seven seconds ahead of Tigist Assefa. Joyciline Jepkosgei was third (2:16:24) and Megertu Alemu fourth (2:16:34), making it the first marathon in which four women finished inside 2:17.
World Athletics

World records set earlier this year by Devynne Charlton and Peres Jepchirchir have now been ratified

Ratified: world records for Charlton and Jepchirchir

Women&rsquo;s world indoor 60m hurdles record 7.67 Devynne Charlton (BAH) New York, 11 February 2024 7.67 Tia Jones (USA) Albuquerque, 16 February 2024
Men&rsquo;s world indoor 60m hurdles record 7.27 Grant Holloway (USA) Albuquerque, 16 February 2024
Women&rsquo;s world indoor 400m record 49.24 Femke Bol (NED) Apeldoorn, 18 February 2024 49.17 Femke Bol (NED) Glasgow, 2 March 2024
&nbsp;
World indoor records set earlier this year by Devynne Charlton, Grant Holloway, Tia Jones and Femke Bol have now been ratified by World Athletics.
Bahamian sprint hurdler Charlton produced the standout performance of the Millrose Games in New York City in February when she sped to a world indoor 60m hurdles record of 7.67. It took 0.01 off the previous mark set by Sweden&rsquo;s Susanna Kallur in Karlsruhe on 10 February 2008.
&ldquo;It felt fast,&rdquo; Charlton said. &ldquo;I got the start and then I felt myself separate from the field. When I saw that clock, I felt relief. When you set a goal and work towards it all year, and then you achieve it, it makes you feel you're on top of the world.&rdquo;
Just five days later, Jones equalled Charlton&rsquo;s mark to win the 60m hurdles at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque.
&ldquo;It was easier than I thought,&rdquo; said Jones, who had finished third behind Charlton at the Millrose Games five days prior. &ldquo;I know I can execute and go faster, but whenever you&rsquo;re prepared it feels easy. I just hope it keeps getting easier.&rdquo;
On the same day, Holloway won the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles title in 7.27, improving his own world indoor record of 7.29 which he first set in Madrid on 24 February 2021 and then equalled to win the world indoor title in Belgrade on 20 March 2022.
&ldquo;I knew it was going to be a good one after I got out of the blocks,&rdquo; Holloway said. &ldquo;My main thing was just to continue going through with my steps and my rhythm. I wasn&rsquo;t too upset about it, but 7.27 at a nice track is always a good thing.&rdquo;
Charlton, meanwhile, went on to win the world indoor title in Glasgow in a world record of 7.65 &ndash; a mark that is still pending ratification. Jones was unable to compete at those championships due to injury.
Just two days after the record-breaking hurdles feats at the US Indoor Championships, the hurdles specialist from the Netherlands won the Dutch indoor 400m title in Apeldoorn in 49.24, taking 0.02 off her previous mark set at the same venue on 19 February 2023.
Then two weeks later, Bol won the world indoor title in Glasgow with another improvement on the global mark, clocking 49.17 to lead a Dutch 1-2 from teammate and training partner Lieke Klaver.
&ldquo;It was amazing,&rdquo; said Bol, who went on to anchor the Netherlands to gold in the 4x400m. &ldquo;It was such a strong race and I knew I had to go out fast. My coach said to me, 'You can run faster', but to be honest I just wanted to win.&rdquo;
World Athletics

World indoor records set earlier this year by Devynne Charlton, Grant Holloway, Tia Jones and Femke Bol have now been ratified.

Ratified: world indoor records for Charlton, Holloway, Jones and Bol

To mark the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, Devynne Charlton has donated to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. There she lowered her 60m hurdles world record to 7.65 when securing her first global title.
The 28-year-old Charlton, who stunned many when she sped to her first world record (7.67) in New York on 11 February, got away superbly in the 60m hurdles final in Glasgow. She was never seriously threatened, finishing clear of France&rsquo;s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Charlton had taken the silver behind the French athlete in Belgrade two years before.
Charlton, who is competing in the 4x100m this weekend (4-5 May), handed over her Glasgow top to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe at the official press conference staged infield at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
"Charlton&rsquo;s near faultless final in Glasgow was one of two world records during a standout evening session," said Coe. "On behalf of the Museum of World Athletics, I gratefully thank Charlton for her generous donation, which perfectly embodies her exceptional indoor season.
"In an Olympic year, it is worth reflecting that Charlton&rsquo;s singlet joins an artefact of a sprint hurdling legend in the MOWA. Our museum&rsquo;s collection holds the embroidered &lsquo;Nederland&rsquo; badge which Fanny Blankers-Koen wore when winning the Olympic 80m hurdles gold, one of four victories achieved by &lsquo;The Flying Dutchwoman&rsquo; at the London 1948 Olympic Games."
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65e4ec4e030c958309dcaed0.jpg" alt="Devynne Charlton wins the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24" />
Devynne Charlton wins the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Charlton commented: "I am very happy to present my world indoor championship winning singlet and bib to the Museum of World Athletics. I will be excited to see them displayed online in 3D and exhibited around the world. I hope they help inspire future athletes and fans about the excitement of athletics.
"It is a great honour to have my achievements recognised in the museum alongside those of many all-time greats, whose careers I dream to emulate as I fulfil my track ambitions."
<h2>World indoor champions Devers and Pearson</h2>
Charlton&rsquo;s World Athletics Indoor Championships winning kit will also sit with the shoes and clothing of two other world indoor 60m hurdles champions in the Heritage Collection of the MOWA.
Olympic champions Gail Devers of USA and Sally Pearson of Australia, respectively world indoor 60m hurdles champions in Birmingham 2003 and Istanbul 2012, donated their singlets, bib numbers and running spikes to the MOWA from their 2004 (60m gold, 60m hurdles silver) and 2014 (60m hurdles silver) world indoor campaigns.
Charlton&rsquo;s early career was beset by a serious back injury. Now back to full fitness, the Purdue University alumnus has in recent years begun to fulfil her immense promise. Silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships was followed outdoors at 100m hurdles with Commonwealth Games silver and last summer a fourth place at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.&nbsp;
Charlton&rsquo;s indoor form this season would signal an improvement to her Tokyo Olympic Games sixth place is likely this year in Paris.
World Athletics Heritage

World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

To mark the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, Devynne Charlton has donated to the Museum of World Athletics her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow

Charlton donates world record singlet and bib to Museum of World Athletics

Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas lowered the 60m hurdles world record of 7.67 she shared with Tia Jones of the United States to 7.65* as she secured her first global title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24.
Charlton, who had spoken of the need to &ldquo;fix her start&rdquo; after qualifying only seventh in the morning heats in 7.93, got away superbly and was never seriously threatened as she finished clear of the French athlete who had beaten her to this title two years earlier in Belgrade, Cyrena Samba-Mayela.
Samba-Mayela took silver in 7.74, with a delighted Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland claiming bronze in 7.79.
&ldquo;This means a whole lot because I have set myself goals,&rdquo; Charlton said. &ldquo;I have not changed my technique much &ndash; just a few tweaks &ndash; but I have been working hard off the track, making sure my mental health is good and working with a sports psychologist.
&ldquo;Just taking care of myself. Indoors really plays well to my skillset too.&rdquo;
Masai Russell of the United States was fourth in 7.81, with fifth place going to Ireland&rsquo;s Sarah Lavin, who clocked 7.91 having twice equalled her personal best of 7.90 in heats and semi-finals.
Unlike the men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles, where the dynamic was essentially about how fast Grant Holloway was going to run and who was going to follow him home, this event appeared more open after Charlton&rsquo;s muted opening effort.
But her semi-final victory in 7.72 demonstrated that that task of &ldquo;fixing the start&rdquo; had been accomplished as she got out of her blocks smartly and never looked seriously threatened, with Skrzysowska second in 7.78, equalling her personal best.
Victory in the next heat by Samba-Mayela demonstrated that this was a title that would not be given up easily as she won in a national record of 7.73 after a superb start.
But when it came to the final, she had no answer to the power and precision of her Bahamian rival.
Misfortune had arrived for one of the main contenders in the last semi-final, as Nadine Visser of the Netherlands, twice European indoor champion, smashed into the first hurdle and never recovered.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics 
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 60M HURDLES MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Devynne Charlton 🇧🇸 BAH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">7.65 WR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Cyrena Samba-Mayela 🇫🇷 FRA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">7.74</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Pia Skrzyszowska 🇵🇱 POL</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">7.79</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/glasgow24/results/women/60-metres-hurdles/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas lowered the 60m hurdles world record to 7.65 as she secured her first global title

Charlton lowers world 60m hurdles record to 7.65 for global gold in Glasgow

Grant Holloway of the United States duly earned his 76th consecutive win over 60m hurdles in the Glasgow Arena on Saturday (2) &ndash; 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 &ndash; perfect start, superb transition, powerful finish &ndash; at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24. The race was his inside the first two strides.
Silver went to a jubilant Lorenzo Simonelli &ndash; the only non-automatic qualifier - in an Italian record of 7.43, with France&rsquo;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&rsquo;s compatriot Trey Cunningham also clocked 7.53, taking sixth place.
&ldquo;This morning was little bit of a shake-up but to come out of here and go sub-7.3 is a good time,&rdquo; Holloway said.
&ldquo;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.
&ldquo;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.&rdquo;
Simonelli commented: &ldquo;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.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The two-time champion&rsquo;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 &ndash; before the final.
But you felt he still had a sense of the &ldquo;one that got away&rdquo; after the field had been recalled for a clear false start which led to the disqualification of China&rsquo;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&rsquo;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 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S 60m HURDLES MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Grant Holloway 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">7.29 =CR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Lorenzo Simonelli 🇮🇹 ITA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">7.43 NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Just Kwaou-Mathey 🇫🇷 FRA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">7.47</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/glasgow24/results/men/60-metres-hurdles/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Grant Holloway of the United States duly earned his 76th consecutive win over 60m hurdles in the Glasgow Arena

Holloway matches championship record to retain world 60m hurdles title

<h2>Men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/glasgow24/timetable/bydiscipline/men/60-metres-hurdles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/60-metres-hurdles/all/men/senior/2024?regionType=world&amp;timing=electronic&amp;windReading=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;maxResultsByCountry=all&amp;eventId=10230176&amp;ageCategory=senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/60-metres-hurdles/all/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/110mh/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2024-02-18&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
The last time Grant Holloway was beaten in a 60m hurdles race was in 2014, when he finished second as a 16-year-old at the US High School Indoor Nationals in New York.
A decade on, having been racing as the world record-holder since 2021, the three-time world 110m hurdles champion will be determined to maintain his dominance in the event at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24.
It was en route to winning his first world indoor 60m hurdles title in Belgrade two years ago that Holloway matched the world record of 7.29 he set in Madrid in 2021. That record-equalling time came in the semifinals in Belgrade and Holloway went on to get gold later that day in 7.39.
His 7.29 remained the world record until 16 February, when the 26-year-old improved to 7.27 in the heats at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque. With his place for Glasgow secured thanks to a wild card entry as the World Athletics Indoor Tour winner for 2023, he decided not to contest the final.
That was Holloway&rsquo;s last race before his world indoor title defence and it followed performances of 7.35 in Boston on 4 February and 7.32 in Lievin six days later.&nbsp;
Holloway has now dipped under 7.40 in 23 60m hurdles races. Five of those performances have been achieved this year alone, and no other man in history has reached double figures.
&ldquo;I knew it was going to be a good one after I got out of the blocks,&rdquo; Holloway said in Albuquerque, adding that retaining his title in Glasgow is the &ldquo;main goal&rdquo; of the season.
Because of his wild card entry, Holloway is set to be joined by two other US athletes in this event: Trey Cunningham and Cameron Murray. Cunningham, the 2022 world 110m hurdles silver medallist, continued his comeback after injury by winning the US title in a season&rsquo;s best of 7.39, just 0.01 off the PB he recorded in 2022. He was also second behind Holloway in Boston and third in New York seven days later.
Murray, meanwhile, is in PB form this season and he clocked 7.45 to secure national silver behind Cunningham in Albuquerque.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65dcba30d66bc69ec049cd39.jpg" alt="Just Kwaou-Mathey and Tade Ojora compete in Budapest" />
Just Kwaou-Mathey and Tade Ojora compete in Budapest (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
Joint third behind Holloway and Cunningham on this season&rsquo;s top list are Jason Joseph and Just Kwaou-Mathey. World 110m hurdles finalist Joseph retained his Swiss 60m hurdles title in 7.43 &ndash; the second-fastest time of his career behind the national record of 7.41 he set when winning the European indoor title last year. Kwaou-Mathey improved his PB to 7.43 when finishing second behind Holloway in Lievin. He went on to finish second at the French Championships behind Wilhem Belocian, who won in 7.44 &ndash; 0.02 off the PB he set in 2021.
Among those joining them in Glasgow will be David King and Tade Ojora, representing the host nation, plus Italian record-holder Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli, who won at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid in 7.46, Spain&rsquo;s Asier Martinez and Enrique Llopis, and Polish champion Jakub Szymanski.
&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 60m hurdles</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-championships/glasgow24/timetable/bydiscipline/women/60-metres-hurdles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/hurdles/60-metres-hurdles/all/women/senior/2024?regionType=world&amp;timing=electronic&amp;windReading=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;maxResultsByCountry=all&amp;eventId=10230177&amp;ageCategory=senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 world list</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/hurdles/60-metres-hurdles/all/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/100mh/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2024-02-18&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>
Two world 60m hurdles record-holders will be on show at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 as Bahamian star Devynne Charlton headlines the women&rsquo;s event.
Charlton, who secured world indoor silver in Belgrade two years ago, is now favourite for gold following her world record-breaking 7.67 in New York on 11 February, which she followed with 7.68 in Madrid less than two weeks later.
Incredibly, her world record was matched by Tia Jones in the heats at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on 16 February. Jones went on to win the national title in 7.68 but will not be competing in Glasgow.
Charlton has achieved four of the eight fastest performances of the year as she also clocked 7.75 in Texas and 7.76 in Boston.
&ldquo;I set myself all of these goals,&rdquo; she said in Madrid. &ldquo;I said I wanted to win the World Indoor Tour and break the world indoor record and I want to be a world indoor champion, so I&rsquo;m just ticking all of the boxes. There&rsquo;s just one more to go.
&ldquo;If this is any preview to the World Indoors, then I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m on the right track.&rdquo;
Charlton&rsquo;s world record puts her more than a tenth of a second ahead of her rivals when it comes to season&rsquo;s bests, but there are a number of athletes who will be looking to close the gap in Glasgow.
Dutch two-time European indoor champion Nadine Visser got closest to Charlton in Madrid and she&rsquo;s also No.2 behind the Bahamian on the entry list for Glasgow. Visser, who claimed world indoor bronze in 2018, ran 7.78 to miss her PB by just 0.01 in Madrid, while Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska was third in 7.83. Skrzyszowska, the European 100m hurdles champion, had gone quicker in Torun as she clocked 7.81 to finish second, 0.01 behind Visser.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65dcbb6ad32339bf616dcb62.jpg" alt="Nadine Visser at the 2018 World Indoor Championships" />
Nadine Visser at the 2018 World Indoor Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
They will clash again in Glasgow and are separated by just 0.01 when it comes to PBs &ndash; Visser&rsquo;s best being 7.77 and Skrzyszowska&rsquo;s 7.78.
Sitting between them on this season&rsquo;s top list is Masai Russell, who recorded 7.79 in the heats of the US Indoor Championships, going on to finish third in the final. She&rsquo;s joined on the US team by Christina Clemons, the 2018 world indoor silver medallist.
Cyrena Samba-Mayela defends the title she won in Belgrade two years ago, fresh from a win in 7.87 at the French Indoor Championships.
Others to watch out for include Sarah Lavin, who is in the form of her life and will be looking to build on the PB of 7.91 she set when finishing third in Astana on 27 January. Since then, she has stayed consistent with a PB-equalling performance at the Irish Indoor Championships, 7.92 to finish third behind Visser and Skrzyszowska in Torun, 7.93 in Ostrava and 7.95 in Madrid.
Cindy Sember ran 7.91 in New York and won the British title in 7.99. Others on the entry list to have dipped under eight seconds this year include Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic 100m hurdles bronze medallist Megan Tapper and Finland&rsquo;s European indoor champion Reetta Hurske.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the men's and women's 60m hurdles

WIC Glasgow 24 preview: 60m hurdles

As a multiple world record-breaker and four-time global gold medallist, Grant Holloway is familiar with making history.
But having such history recognised with inclusion in the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a> is not something that he takes for granted.
In August, a donation ceremony held at the museum&rsquo;s exhibition in the World Athletics Championships host city of Budapest started with <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/grant-holloway-budapest-singlet-donation-mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long planned donations from several athletes</a> and ended with the surprise announcement that Holloway, who had won his third world 110m hurdles title two days before, had decided to gift his kit from that race to the museum&rsquo;s collection.
Holloway&rsquo;s singlet and name bib, his right spike and the US flag that was draped on his shoulders following his victory were received by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe on behalf of the MOWA.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65d39371cf4a8a62dde34e4b.jpg" alt="Grant Holloway's singlet and name bib from Budapest" />
Grant Holloway's singlet and name bib from Budapest (&copy; MOWA)
</div>
Holloway spoke with pride about being included in the pantheon housing competition artefacts from some of the greatest athletes ever.&nbsp;
&ldquo;To be a part of history forever is amazing. Honestly, it&rsquo;s just about donating things back,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m used to going to these history museums and just seeing history, but to actually be a part of a history that I love is remarkable.&rdquo;
<h2>Breaking Jackson&rsquo;s ancient world indoor record</h2>
Holloway&rsquo;s Budapest win &ndash; his third successive win at the World Athletics Championships &ndash; was the fastest of the three, his 12.96 being just 0.05 short of the championship record, run in Stuttgart in 1993. Colin Jackson&rsquo;s 12.91 on that occasion set a world record.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Holloway&rsquo;s first world title was won in 2019 in Doha, where he ran 13.10. He improved that mark by 0.07 to 13.03 with his second win in 2022 in Oregon. His victory last year showed another 0.07 improvement, begging the question about a fourth win in Tokyo in 2025.
Tucked among those World Athletics Championships was Holloway&rsquo;s 2022 world indoor 60m hurdles win. He ran 7.39 to triumph in Belgrade, having run 7.29 to equal his own world record in the semifinals.&nbsp;
Holloway had set that world record the previous year at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Madrid, consigning Jackson&rsquo;s long-standing 7.30 record set in Sindelfingen in 1994 to history.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6237763d15638105e18ee175.jpg" alt="A picture of dominance: Grant Holloway breezes to victory at the World Indoor Championships Belgrade 22" />
Grant Holloway breezes to victory at the World Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Now Holloway heads to the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 to defend his title, fresh from another world record-breaking run. Racing at the US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on Friday, the 26-year-old won his heat in 7.27 to take 0.02 off his previous global mark.
&ldquo;I knew it was going to be a good one after I got out of the blocks,&rdquo; said Holloway, who has described retaining his world indoor title as the &ldquo;main goal&rdquo; of this season.
<h2>2.16m high jump to take state title</h2>
Holloway went to high school in Chesapeake, Virginia, just south of Norfolk, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Holloway and his older brother, Trey, were major forces over the 39-inch high school hurdles in Virginia for five years in a row. Trey won the high school state title as a senior in 2012, and Grant followed suit two years later as a high school sophomore, winning the first of three state championships in a row.
But Holloway was not as proficient over the hurdles as he was in the high jump during his freshman season at Grassfield High School. As a freshman in 2013, Holloway cleared 2.11m when he defeated the eventual state champion. The mark placed Holloway second on the state high jump list for the year, while his hurdles best of 14.22 in August placed him only fourth.
In 2014, as a sophomore, Holloway won his first state championships in the hurdles while running a season&rsquo;s best of 14.11, making him the third fastest in the state. He also ran 37.73, making him the third fastest Virginian for the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Yet once again, it was in the high jump where he was strongest, having cleared 2.16m to win the state championship and marking him as the highest jumper in the state and equal fourth among US high schoolers.
Holloway received national acclaim as a high school junior, now showing himself as a future national class athlete in four events.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 2015, he won a second state title in both the hurdles (13.61 wind-aided) and the high jump (2.03m), after an earlier season&rsquo;s best of 2.08m.&nbsp;&nbsp;
His legal best in the hurdles was 13.75, the 12th fastest high schooler in the country. He expanded his athletic repertoire by adding the long jump, winning the state title with a US-leading high school mark of 7.85m.&nbsp;
To top things off, Holloway won the state title in the 300m hurdles in 36.73, placing him ninth on the US high school list and ran 10.68 and 21.54 in the sprints.
In 2016, having shown national level ability in both hurdles, the high jump and the long jump, Holloway chose to concentrate more on the 110m hurdles and long jump.&nbsp;&nbsp;
That year he won state titles in both events as well as the high jump and the long jump and had bests of 13.37 (equal second fastest among US high schoolers) and 7.76m (second in the nation), with additional marks of 37.60, 2.08m, 10.74 and 21.27.
<h2>One place short for London 2017</h2>
The following year, Holloway took his talents to the University of Florida for his freshman year in college, working with coach Mike Holloway, no relation. That year saw him eliminate the long hurdles and the high jump from his portfolio, as well as any notions he might have had about the decathlon.&nbsp;
He won NCAA titles in the sprint hurdles both indoors and out, and recorded bests of 7.58 and 13.39, as well as finishing second in the NCAA outdoor long jump after a season&rsquo;s best of 8.05m. A fourth place at the US Championships in the 110m hurdles left him one place short of making the team for the 2017 World Championships in London.
In 2018 Holloway repeated his NCAA hurdle wins as well as a NCAA long jump second place, this time at the indoor championships. His career bests improved to 7.42, 13.15 and 8.17m, with the hurdles marks placing him first on the world indoor list and fourth on the world outdoor list. He capped his outdoor season with a second place at the US Championships.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65d394a1cf4a8a62dde34e4e.jpg" alt="Grant Holloway in 2018" />
Grant Holloway in 2018 (&copy; Getty Images)
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<h2>No more long jumping</h2>
The stage was set in 2019 for Holloway&rsquo;s first foray into global championships. At the NCAA indoor meeting he won the 60m sprint and hurdles and was third in the long jump. At the outdoor NCAA event he won the hurdles with a season&rsquo;s best and the world&rsquo;s fastest mark of the year, 12.98, and took 12th in the last long jump of his career.&nbsp;&nbsp;
After a second place at the US Championships, he was on the way to Doha, Qatar, where he won the first of his world 110m hurdles titles. It was the beginning of the international stardom that has followed Holloway ever since.
&ldquo;For my career going forward, the main thing is to build off of this,&rdquo; he said at the presentation ceremony in Budapest following his third world 110m hurdles title, &ldquo;and hopefully get more stuff in the museum.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Dave Johnson for World Athletics Heritage

As a multiple world record-breaker and four-time global gold medallist, Grant Holloway is familiar with making history