U.S.โ Grant Holloway competes in the 110m hurdles final in Paris on August 8, 2024.
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Having placed him in the club of some great hurdlers after winning the Olympic title with 12.99, new 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway is a relieved man.
The three-time World champion valued his maiden Olympic title after his feat at the Stade de France in Paris on Thursday (August 8, 2024) night. โThe career Grand Slam is officially complete. To have indoors, the Diamond League, outdoor world titles, and now the Olympic gold is great,โ said 26-year-old Holloway.
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โIโm just happy and ecstatic. The relief is finally (itโs) off the shoulders. Now these next couple of races, we can definitely just go sub-13 hunting. Thatโs what Aries Merritt did in 2012. At the end, he was able to find a rhythm and figure that out. Thatโs the main thing for me, is just to continue, just to keep up this rhythm that I have.
โI think Iโm at 11 sub-13s now. I think Iโm tied with (former World and Olympic champion) Allen (Johnson). Iโm solidifying myself as one of the ones,โ asserted Holloway.
However, Holloway, who settled for a silver medal behind Jamaican Hansel Parchment in the Tokyo Games, did not agree that his win in Paris was a moment of redemption. โTokyo was three years ago. Obviously, Hansel made a great race. This was my time. It wasnโt redemption. It wasnโt anything. I just wanted to make sure I just came out here, regardless of the situation, just to get to the finish line before anybody else. Thatโs what I did.
It was a moment of joy for Holloway as he and his compatriot Daniel Roberts finished one-two to put the USA on top. โWeโve been talking about this since 2019. Obviously, Danielโs a little bit late to the party, but for everything going on, to get medals in back-to-back years is always a great feeling for him. Even myself, just to stay dominant.โ
โEver since 2021, itโs just been my one off year, every single year after that, Iโve been on top of the podium, and thatโs where I want to stay. As one of the greats in the sport, you got to be able to show up, even on your off days, and still be able to compete.โ
Holloway said he felt a cramp, but winning mattered the most. โTowards the ninth and the tenth hurdles, I caught a cramp. It doesnโt matter. I made it to the finish line. Iโm afraid to probably yell, so Iโm happy about that,โ said Holloway.
