Olympic Champion Continues To Rule 60-Meter Hurdles, Looks To 'Give It Everything I've Got' For The Next Four Years

By David Woods for DyeStat

John Nepolitan photos

INTERVIEWS

NEW YORK – Eighty-two and counting.

That is Grant Holloway’s streak of successive victories in the 60-meter hurdles, dating to 2014. That is not what he’s counting.

He’s counting the world titles he has won, and can win, and the years he has left in track and field.

“For me, when I’m out of the sport, I want to be done. I don’t want to have that thing back and forth,” said Holloway, 27. “I have a solid four years in this sport. I want to give it everything I’ve got.”

He did so Friday night, taking the 60-meter hurdles in 7.36 seconds in the USATF Indoor Championships at Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

Holloway equaled the world lead he set Feb. 13 at Lievin, France.

He was a highlight on a Day 1 featuring victories by Masai Russell in the women’s 60 hurdles and Hobbs Kessler and Nikki Hiltz in the 3,000 metets (see other story), plus comebacks by Katie Moon in the pole vault and Monae Nichols in the long jump.

Indoor nationals, held since 1906, conclude Sunday (NBC and Peacock, 1-3 p.m. Eastern live.). Top two in most events make the World Indoor Championships – set for March 21-23 at Nanjing, China – although many are opting out.

In the men’s hurdles, Cameron Murray was second in 7.41.

USC’s Johnny Brackins was third in 7.43, climbing to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list behind global medalists Holloway (7.35), Trey Cunningham (7.38) and Daniel Roberts (7.41). It will be two weekends of long travel from Los Angeles by Brackins, who has the Big Ten meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Indianapolis.

Holloway, coming off an Olympic gold medal, has three world titles outdoors and could match that with a third indoors. He said this indoor season hasn’t been “the best in my standards,” pointing to his 7.45 semifinal as “godawful.”

He used his platform to elaborate on a social media post in which he complained there was no free TV or streaming for Day 1. The same thing happened last year, he said, when he and Tia Jones set hurdles world records a few minutes apart.

“Just continue to challenge USATF to help elevate the sport,” Holloway said.

Unlike Holloway, the other hurdles champion is not aiming for Nanjing. Russell made up a deficit to win in world-leading 7.74 over Grace Stark, 7.76, and Christina Clemons, 7.81.

Russell is part of the new Grand Slam Track series, in which she will race at both the 100 meters and 100 hurdles.

“Maybe it will turn into something. Maybe Gail Devers,” Russell said, referring to the hurdler who won two Olympic golds at 100 meters.

With Russell out, the American team will be Stark and Clemons. Clemons, 34, won a silver medal at the 2018 indoor worlds and reached the semifinals in 2024. Clemons addressed the media holding her 2-year-old son, Kylo.

“He didn’t slow me down. But he made me better,” Clemons said. “I think about that all the time. I think about it at practice, I think about it at competitions. It really does move me.”

In the vault, Moon climbed from fifth to first with a second-attempt clearance of 15-5 (4.70m). She finished first at 15-9 (4.80m).

“It felt better than I looked like I jumped,” she said. “I had more misses than I was expecting.”

After laboring last year through recurring  Achilles soreness, she is declining to travel to Nanjing. Instead, she is aiming to become the second American (after Jenn Suhr) to clear 5 meters.

“I know I have that height within me,” said Moon, whose six global medals include Olympic gold at Tokyo 2021 and silver at Paris 2024.

Nichols, on her last attempt, jumped 22-1 (6.73m) to move from fourth to first. Claire Bryant was second at 22-0.75 (6.72m). Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore, third at 21-10.25 (6.66m), was thus knocked off the team. Moore has the triple jump Sunday.

“It showed me I’m a competitor, and I can do it,” said Nichols, the 2024 world indoor silver medalist and sixth at the Paris Olympics.

Chase Jackson is moving on

In other events:

>> Chase Jackson, coming off an American indoor record in the shot put, won her fifth national indoor title with a distance of 64-5.75 (19.65m). The two-time outdoor world champion has said she put disappointment of not making the Olympic final behind her.

>> Chris Nilsen, a four-time global medalist, won the men’s vault at 18-8.25 (5.70m). Jacob Wooten was second at the same height. Sam Kendricks, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, was fourth (at 18-4.5/5.60m) but might make worlds because he has met the necessary standard.

>> James Carter won the triple jump with a PB of 55-4.75 (16.88m) to end the reign of Donald Scott, who hadn’t been beaten at indoor nationals since 2018. Scott was third at 54-6.5 (16.62m).

>> Timara Chapman scored a PB  of 4,555 points to win the pentathlon and said she is among those invited to indoor worlds. Cheyenne Nesbitt, the defending champion, was second with 4,462. She has moved from Saginaw Valley State to train under coach Petros Kyprianou at Illinois.

>> In the heptathlon, Kyle Garland ended Day 1 with 3,615 points and is on pace to approach 6,500 – a score only Ashton Eaton, Garland and Ayden Owens-Delerme have exceeded.

>> Wes Ferguson, a former NCAA Division 2 champion from Nebraska-Kearny, nearly broke the meet record in a heat of the 800. He clocked 1:45.24, compared with the 1:45.10 by Donavan Brazier in 2018. New American record-holder Josh Hoey won his heat in 1:46.59.

>> Chris Bailey coasted to a 45.15 in heats of the 400 and looked like the world leader (44.7) that he is. High schooler Quincy Wilson, 17, won the slowest of four heats in 46.41. Olympic relay gold medalist Vernon Norwood advanced, and Matthew Boling and Will Sumner were eliminated,

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.