Chesapeake’s Grant Holloway races to early lead, defends his 110-meter hurdles title at World Track & Field championships
Chesapeake’s Grant Holloway successfully defended his title in the 110-meter hurdles at the World Track & Field Championships on Sunday night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Holloway, a graduate of Grassfield High, finished in a time of 13.03 seconds, and American Trey Cunningham followed in 13.08 to give the U.S. a 1-2 finish in the event’s first time on American soil.
Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment, who beat Holloway at the Tokyo Olympics, didn’t run in the final after he was injured during warmups prior to the race. And American Devon Allen — who had the fastest time this season and the third-fastest ever when he ran 12.84 seconds last month — was disqualified for a false start.
Holloway repeated as champion after winning the 110 hurdles at the 2019 World Track & Field Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Holloway, who is the second-fastest man in the 110 hurdles in history at 12.81 seconds, got out to his usual fast start and never looked back in winning back-to-back world titles.
“At the start, it was just me, my lane and my space and I was ready for whatever happens,” Holloway said after the race, according to Oregonlive.com. “I am really excited for my second world title outdoors. It feels good to win in front of the home crowd. This is my first world title in America, so it is even more special for me this time. About Paris 2024, when it comes to that, I have to come up with the new plan. The world record? We will see.”
In his semifinal heat, Holloway won in a season-best time of 13.01 seconds, the fastest time of the semifinals. Parchment, who also won his heat, had the second-fastest time at 13.02. Cunningham ran 13.07 and Allen ran 13.09.
But with Parchment and Allen out of the final race, Holloway led from start to finish.
Also, Chesapeake’s Michael Cherry advanced through the first round of the 400 meters.
The Oscar Smith High graduate ran 45.81 seconds to win his heat. Cherry’s time was the 14th-best of the day. Fellow Americans Michael Norman and Champion Allison also advanced. Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori ran the fastest time of the day in 44.87.
Cherry won gold as part of the 4x400 relay at the Tokyo Olympics.
The semifinals are set for Wednesday.
