MADRID, SPAIN, February 24 — It had been an indoor season of fabulous races for Grant Holloway: fabulous but frustrating, as the World Record in the 60H dangled seemingly just out of reach. In his four meets (each with heats) leading up to the WIT conclusion in the Spanish capital, he had zipped under 7.40 an astounding 5 times, topped by an American Record 7.32.
The 23-year-old Virginia native came to Madrid’s Gallur Sports Centre with his heart set on finally breaking Colin Jackson’s 7.30 standard, a record 4 years older than he. He said the night before, “I want to go out on the track and have fun. If it falls, great, but I don’t want it to be an obsession. This is the job I’ve always wanted to do and I’m enjoying it.”
A brilliant 7.32 in the heats tied the American Record and also matched Jackson’s ’94 feat of 6 races under 7.40 in a single season. For anyone else, this would be a cause for celebration. Holloway wanted more.
Starting the final in lane 6, the Florida alum reached hurdle 1 with the faintest of leads over Italy’s Paolo Dal Molin. But by the second set of barriers it was over. Holloway flew over each barrier cleanly and by the final set he led by more than a meter. He charged to the line, producing a perfectly-timed lean. (Continued below)
Then the waiting began in the spectator-less stadium. The scoreboard flashed 7.32. Holloway, frustrated, waited for the adjustment (his 7.32 heat had originally popped up as 7.34). An official tried to hand him a World Record sign. He waved it off and continued to watch the board as photographers clustered around.
Finally, a new WR of 7.29 was announced and Holloway raised his arms to celebrate his first global standard.
“I wouldn’t say it was a perfect race, but I tied my PR in the heat and that usually means I run faster in the final,” said Holloway. “I just went out there and executed my race to the best of my ability.
“I said before the race that if the record fell, it fell. But my main goal was just to have fun and that’s what I did. I know that it is not going to be in the recordbooks forever and when I fall asleep tonight — if I fall asleep — it will already be in the past. Now I will start looking forward. I want to get back to Gainesville, talk to Coach Holloway, have a big old steak and go through the film.
“The World Record outdoors is definitely in my sights but I want to let all this soak in first, then my priority is win the Olympic Trials and then the Olympic gold medal.”
While many reports claimed that Holloway is now on win No. 54 of a near-record win streak in the indoor highs, that’s one mark that won’t be his anytime soon: the Holloway tally includes heats; the sport’s statisticians count him at 23 straight finals. The record streak, by ’64 Olympic gold medalist Hayes Jones 1960–64, is 55 (finals only). We’ll give Holloway this, he has a lifetime undefeated record over the 42-inchers indoors. (Continued below)
Holloway’s mark proved to be the only major record of the day. Much expectation had been placed on Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, who 2 weeks ago destroyed the 1500 WR. Here, she went after countrywoman Genzebe Dibaba’s 3000 standard of 8:16.60 from ’14, but after a fast 2:43.79 opener for the rabbit, Tsegay let the pace lag in the middle of the race.
Indeed, the record chase looked to be over when with several laps left, Tsegay gestured to countrywoman Lemlem Hailu in 2nd to help out with the pace. Through 2000 in 5:34.84, Tsegay would have needed to close in 2:41.76 to tie the record. She finished fast, but it was too little too late, though her 8:22.65 world leader is the No. 2 time ever. Hailu came across in 8:29.28.
Nadine Visser of the Netherlands tied the world leader in the hurdles with a powerful and smooth 7.81, good for an 0.27 win.
A yearly U.S. leader went to Tori Franklin, who surprised the triple jump field with a last-round bound to the lead. Her 46-8 (14.22) just nipped the 46-7½ (14.21) that Portugal’s Patricia Mamona had produced in stanza 4.
MADRID WIT MEN’S RESULTS
(200 banked; altitude 625m)
60: 1. Arthur Gue Cissé (CI) 6.59; 2. Mouhamadou Fall (Fra) 6.60 PR; 3. Joris van Gool (Neth) 6.61; 4. Carlos Nascimento (Por) 6.63 PR; 5. Michael Pohl (Ger) 6.66; 6. Amaury Golitin (Fra) 6.69; 7. Jan Veleba (CzR) 6.69; 8. Yannick Wolf (Ger) 6.71.
Heats: I–1. Cissé 6.60; 2. Fall 6.63. II–1. van Gool 6.63; 2. Veleba 6.66; 3. Pohl 6.68.
400: 1. Pavel Maslák (CzR) 46.12; 2. Tyrell Richard (US) 46.14; 3. Óscar Husillos (Spa) 46.37; 4. Edoardo Scotti (Ita) 46.61; 5. Lucas Bua (Spa) 46.83; 6. Dylan Borlée (Bel) 47.08.
800: 1. Mariano García (Spa) 1:45.66 PR; 2. Amel Tuka (Bos) 1:45.95; 3. Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (Fra) 1:45.95; 4. Adrian Ben (Spa) 1:46.88; 5. Álvaro de Arriba (Spa) 1:46.93; 6. Filip Snejdr (CzR) 1:46.97.
1500: 1. Selemon Barega (Eth) 3:35.42; 2. Jesús Gómez (Spa) 3:36.32 PR; 3. Sergio Paniagua (Spa) 3:39.09 PR; 4. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 3:39.36; 5. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 3:39.61; 6. Llorenc Sales (Spa) 3:40.66; 7. Jakub Holuša (CzR) 3:42.71.
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.29 WR, AR (old WR 7.30 Colin Jackson [GB] ’94); old AR 7.32 Holloway twice in ’21);
2. Andy Pozzi (GB) 7.51; 3. Paolo Dal Molin (Ita) 7.57; 4. Asier Martínez (Spa) 7.61 PR; 5. Michael Obasuyi (Bel) 7.69; 6. Enrique Llopsis (Spa) 7.69; 7. Koen Smet (Neth) 7.73; 8. Elmo Lakka (Fin) 7.77.
Heats: I–1. Holloway 7.32 =AR ( AR Holloway ’21) (=WL) (=2, =2 W);
2. Martínez 7.61; 3. Lakka 7.75. II–1. Pozzi 7.63; 2. Dal Molin 7.71; 3. Obasuyi 7.74.
LJ: 1. Juan Miguel Echevarría (Cub) 26-8½ (8.14); 2. Vladyslav Mazur (Ukr) 26-2¼ (7.98).
MADRID WOMEN’S RESULTS
800: 1. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 1:58.94; 2. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 2:01.13; 3. Nadia Power (Ire) 2:01.55.
1500: 1. Hirut Meshesha (Eth) 4:09.42; 2. Marta Pérez (Spa) 4:10.34; 3. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 4:12.02; 4. Federica del Buono (Ita) 4:13.44.
3000: 1. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 8:22.65 PR (WL) (2, 3 W; in/out: 12, x W);
2. Lemlem Hailu (Eth) 8:29.28 PR; 3. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 8:37.06; 4. Quailine Kiprop (Ken) 9:01.94.
60H: 1. Nadine Visser (Neth) 7.81 PR (=WL);
2. Teresa Errandonea (Spa) 8.08; 3. Sarah Lavin (Ire) 8.13 PR; 4. Eline Berings (Bel) 8.16; 5. Caridad Jerez (Spa) 8.23; 6. Zoë Sedney (Neth) 8.35; 7. Evonne Britton (US) 17.08;… dq—Elvira Herman (Blr).
Heats: I–1. Sedney 8.03; 2. Errandonea 8.06; 3. Herman 8.07. II–1. Visser 7.89; 2. Britton 8.13; 3. Lavin 8.14; 4. Berings 8.21; 5. Jerez 8.21.
Field Events
PV: 1. Iryna Zhuk (Blr) 15-3¾ (4.67) NR; 2. Tina Šutej (Slo) 15-0 (4.57); 3. Alysha Newman (Can) 15-0 (4.57);… nh—Annicka Newell (Can).
TJ: 1. Tori Franklin (US) 46-8 (14.22) (AL) (f, 46-2, 46-¾, 38-7¾, 45-10¾, 46-8) (f, 14.07, 14.04, 11.78, 13.99, 14.22);
2. Patricia Mamona (Por) 46-7½ (14.21); 3. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 46-0 (14.02); 4. Neja Filipič (Slo) 45-10 (13.97); 5. Viyaleta Skvartsova (Blr) 45-7¼ (13.90); 6. Ana Peleteiro (Spa) 45-6½ (13.88).