Five years after breaking the world record in the 60-meter hurdles, Grant Holloway returns to the World Indoor Tour Madrid on February 6th, the fourth stop on the World Athletics Gold Tour circuit. The legendary American hurdler returns to the Spanish capital seeking new challenges and will be the man to beat on the straightaway at the CDM Gallur, where he will run the 60 meters.
On the hurdles, Holloway has become the most outstanding specialist in history in the short distance. Eleven years without a defeat, three world titles, and three world records attest to this. The first of these was achieved in Madrid on the magical afternoon of February 24, 2021, when his record 'only' included a world championship gold and a national gold in the 110-meter hurdles. His tally now stands at six world championships (three in the 60-meter hurdles and three in the 110-meter hurdles), an Olympic gold and silver, four US titles, and nine Diamond League victories, including the 2022 final.
A star was born in Madrid, but his legend had begun to be written long before. Back in 2015, when he started a winning streak in the 60m hurdles that still continues, almost eleven years and 78 races later. His last defeat in that event dates back to March 16, 2014, when he finished second at the US National High School Championships, a period in which he combined the short and long hurdles with long-distance sprints (200, 300, and 400m), the high jump (reaching 2.16m), and the long jump (achieving a legal 8.17m and a wind-dependent 8.32m).
After winning everything in the hurdles, Grant Holloway now wants to make history in pure speed, in the 60-meter dash, an event he has rarely competed in, though he has always excelled. He has only competed in this event twice in his career… and he has never lost! The first season was in 2013, when he won two races and the National High School Championship at just 15 years old. The second season was in 2019, where he strung together six victories and won the NCAA title with a time of 6.50, a personal best and just five hundredths of a second shy of the collegiate record.
To extend his winning streak in Madrid, Holloway will have to beat some of the best sprinters on the planet. Starting with his compatriot Ronnie Baker, world bronze medalist in the 60m in 2018 and holder of the third-fastest time in history with 6.40, current US champion and also the newly crowned world champion in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo.
Two other Americans, Marcellus Moore (6.56 in 60m and 9.96 in 100m) and Coby Hilton (6.53 in 60m), are also aiming for a victory in Madrid, which will be extremely difficult with the British Eugene Amo-Dadzie (9.87 in 100m and winner of the European Team Championships in Vallehermoso last year), the South African Bayanda Walaza (9.94 in 100m, Olympic runner-up in 4x100m and double U20 world champion in 2024), the Asian champion and Omani record holder Ali Al Balushi (6.50 in 60m) and the Japanese record holder Shuhei Tada (6.52), double world medalist in 4x100m.
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