Reigning Olympic 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway, is enduring one of the most challenging seasons of his career in 2025. After dominating the track for years with an almost untouchable reputation, the 27-year-old has faced unexpected far below his usual elite standards.
The most alarming moment of Holloway’s season came on April 26 at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China. Entering as the favorite, he was expected to dominate, but instead, he finished a dismal 10th with a time of 13.72 second, a far cry from his personal best of 12.81. The winner, Cordell Tinch, crossed the line in 13.06.
Earlier in April, Grant Holloway suffered a shocking loss to rival Trey Cunningham at the Tom Jones Invitational. Cunningham, the 2022 World Championships silver medalist, outpaced Holloway, clocking 13.09 to Holloway’s 13.18. Although the margin was slim, Holloway’s defeat marked the first time in years he lost a high-profile race.
In a recent episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, he revealed a gruesome training incident where his knee gave out during a 435 lbs front squat.
“Thirty minutes later, my knee swelled up like a balloon,” he admitted.
Despite these setbacks, Grant Holloway has shown flashes of his old brilliance. In March, he defended his title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, winning the 60m hurdles in 7.42 seconds. Earlier in February, he extended his legendary 11-year winning streak in the 60m hurdles with another 7.42-second victory at the New Balance Grand Prix in Boston.
With the 2025 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, Holloway’s recent struggles raise legitimate concerns. The track world will be watching closely to see if he can overcome this adversity or if this season marks the beginning of a tougher phase in his storied career.