For nearly a decade, the name Grant Holloway has been synonymous with dominance in the 110m hurdles. A reigning Olympic champion Holloway has long defined excellence on the track.
At the Xiamen Diamond League in China, Grant stumbled to a 10th-place finish, clocking 13.72 seconds. The surprising result was the visible aftermath of a freak injury sustained earlier in the year during a routine front squat session that left his knee severely swollen.
Despite the setback, Holloway showed his trademark grit at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, where he powered through pain to claim the 60m hurdles title in 7.42 seconds. But in Xiamen, the lingering effects of his injury finally took their toll.
Grant Holloway isn’t shying away from the adversity. Instead, he’s using this chapter of vulnerability to emphasize the deeper responsibility he carries .
“The people that came before you, those legends, they’ve already given you that crown,” former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin told Holloway in a recent conversation shared on Instagram.
“They say you that guy.”
For Holloway, those words aren’t just about recognition; they’re a call to duty. Aware of the path laid down by the legends before him, he’s determined to honor their sacrifices by evolving both as an athlete and as a mentor.
“Y’all made the mistakes, and I’d be a fool to make the same mistakes that y’all made,” Holloway reflected.
“Each and every year you see the times getting faster… because technology, the shoes, the spikes — everything is evolving. But it’s not just about the tools. It’s about learning and leading.”
While rising talents like Eric Edwards Jr. begin to make their mark, Edwards recently clocked a personal best of 13.32 in the 110m hurdles and a promising 7.76 in the 60m hurdles. Holloway continues to symbolize the standard to which the next generation aspires.
With Tokyo 2025 on the horizon and another Diamond Trophy chase ahead, Holloway isn’t just focused on medals. His mission is broader: ensuring that track and field’s rich legacy remains intact for those who follow.
