BY SHEER FORCE of will, Grant Holloway won his third World outdoor title, joining fellow Americans Greg Foster and Allen Johnson at the top of the list.
The 25-year-old Florida alum said of his decisive 12.96 win in still wind, “Three in a row. The main thing was really just to come through here and defend my title.”
Fortunately, Holloway dodged the fate of some of his top challengers. Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell, the only man to beat Holloway this year with his 13.08–13.12 decision in Rabat, crashed out at the ninth hurdle in his heat. Holloway won his in an unpressed 13.18.
In the semis, the first went to Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya in 13.16, just ahead of U.S. champ Daniel Roberts at 13.18. In the second, Holloway impressed with a 13.02. This year’s stunning newcomer to the party Cordell Tinch was never really in the game, finishing 4th in 13.31 and failing to advance. Semi III went to veteran Freddie Crittenden with a 13.17–13.18 win over Olympic champ Hansle Parchment of Jamaica.
In the final, the three Americans lined up together: Roberts in 3, Crittenden in 4, and Holloway in 5. Parchment ended up in 8.
At the sound of the gun, Holloway fell into the rhythm that has served him best, a lightning start and a swift clearance over the initial flight that has always thrown his opponents off. Through the next 9 hurdles, no one could challenge him. Eyes focused on the other medals. Roberts ran 2nd for the first half. Crittenden got out more slowly, while Parchment had a poor start and didn’t catch Crittenden till halfway.
Holloway leaned in celebration, his 12.96 the fastest of his three golds. Parchment stormed the later barriers to catch Roberts for silver, 13.07–13.09. Crittenden made 4th in 13.16.
In an event the United States has never swept, it marked the fourth time it has put 3 in the top 4.
Of this, his fastest, most clear-cut Worlds victory to date, Holloway said, “I’ve been really consistent this year and the aim here was just to continue that through the rounds. I felt no pressure at all, just wanted to run cleanly and stay calm at the finish line. I got a little sloppy at the end but that’s just tiredness like everybody had in the hurdles. Overall it was good though.
“Sub-13 in the final, I’ve got to be happy with that. My consistency showed, I think, and I managed to put everyone else into office mode, to put them on defense. I knew they were going to close really quickly, so my main goal was to keep smooth to the line. Now I need to get ready for the rest of the season. I just want to enjoy this while I can and keep going. I want to stay in this form for the rest of the year.”
For Roberts it was his first international podium finish after two USATF titles. “I was happy to win this bronze today,” he said. “To me this is like getting over a hump — coming to this — my third World Championships — having been at the Olympics but had no medal. That was tough for me mentally. To get over that and get my first medal is a big thing for me. But there is still a bit more in me.”
MEN’S 110 HURDLE RESULTS
FINAL (August 21; wind 0.0)
1. Grant Holloway (US) 12.96 (=AL);
2. Hansle Parchment (Jam) 13.07;
3. Daniel Roberts (US) 13.09;
4. Freddie Crittenden (US) 13.16;
5. Shunsuke Izumiya (Jpn) 13.19;
6. Sasha Zhoya (Fra) 13.26;
7. Jason Joseph (Swi) 13.28;
8. Wilhem Belocian (Fra) 13.32.
(lanes: 2. Belocian; 3. Roberts; 4. Crittenden; 5. Holloway; 6. Izumiya; 7. Zhoya; 8. Parchment; 9. Joseph)
(reaction times: 0.135 Holloway, 0.140 Crittenden, 0.143 Roberts, Izumiya & Joseph, 0.158 Belocian, 0.166 Zhoya, 0.169 Parchment)
HEATS (August 20)
I(-0.3)–1. Parchment 13.30; 2. Enrique Llopis (Spa) 13.33; 3. Zhoya 13.35; 4. Cordell Tinch (US) 13.49; 5. Yaqoub Al-Yoha (Kuw) 13.56; 6. Joel Bengtsson (Swe) 13.68; 7. Saguirou Badamassi (Nig) 13.70; 8. Bálint Szeles (Hun) 13.77; 9. Antonio Alkana (SA) 14.25.
II(0.5)–1. Belocian 13.31; 2. Izumiya 13.33; 3. Rafael Henrique Pereira (Bra) 13.52; 4. Hassane Fofana (Ita) 13.53; 5. Finley Gaio (Swi) 13.61; 6. Richard Diawara (Mli) 13.68 PR; 7. Shenglong Zhu (Chn) 13.69; 8. Krzysztof Kiljan (Pol) 14.09;… dnf—Jeremie Lararaudeuse (Mri).
III(0.0)–1. Louis François Mendy (Sen) 13.24; 2. Crittenden 13.40; 3. Damian Czykier (Pol) 13.49; 4. Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli (Ita) 13.50; 5. Jacob McCorry (Aus) 13.67; 6. Kuei-Ju Chen (Tai) 13.72; 7. Rasheem Brown (Cay) 14.02; 8. Taiga Yokochi (Jpn) 14.39;… dq[knocking down hurdle in adjacent lane]—Rasheed Broadbell (Jam).
IV(-0.6)–1. Holloway 13.18; 2. Milan Trajkovic (Cyp) 13.33; 3. Eduardo Rodrigues (Bra) 13.37; 4. Joseph 13.38; 5. Orlando Bennett (Jam) 13.39; 6. Yves Cherubin (Hai) 13.56 PR; 7. Jakub Szymański (Pol) 13.65; 8. David Efremov (Kaz) 13.78; 9. Mikdat Sevler (Tur) 13.92.
V(-0.9)–1. Omotade Ojora (GB) 13.32; 2. Shunya Takayama (Jpn) 13.35; 3. Roberts 13.36; 4. Max Hrelja (Swe) 13.42 PR; 5. Just Kwaou-Mathey (Fra) 13.42; 6. Gabriel Constantino (Bra) 13.58; 7. Elmo Lakka (Fin) 13.69; 8. Amine Bouanani (Alg) 13.90; 9. Nicholas Andrews (Aus) 13.92.
SEMIS (August 21)
I(-0.2)–1. Izumiya 13.16; 2. Roberts 13.19; 3. Kwaou-Mathey 13.31; 4. Bennett 13.34; 5. Ojora 13.43; 6. Hrelja 13.60; 7. Czykier 13.97;… dq—Mendy.
II(-0.2)–1. Holloway 13.02; 2. Zhoya 13.15 PR; 3. Llopis 13.30 =PR; 4. Tinch 13.31; 5. Trajkovic 13.33; 6. Rodrigues 13.52; 7. Cherubin 13.66; 8. Simonelli 13.69; 9. Yokochi 14.93.
III(-0.1)–1. Crittenden 13.17; 2. Parchment 13.18; 3. Belocian 13.23; 4. Joseph 13.25; 5. Takayama 13.34; 6. Al-Yoha 13.44; 7. Fofana 13.50; 8. Pereira 13.52.
