Grant Holloway seeks world indoors 60m hurdles ‘three-peat’

NEW YORK – Grant Holloway will compete for an unprecedented third straight world indoor title in the 60 metres hurdles in March, after cruising to victory in the event at the US trials on Feb 22.

He crossed the line in 7.36 seconds to equal his own world lead, five hundredths of a second ahead of Cameron Murray, punching his ticket to the World Athletics Indoor Championships that run from March 21-23 in Nanjing, China.

The 27-year-old world record holder, who according to USA Track and Field extended his unbeaten streak in the event to 76 races since 2015, hopes to become the first hurdler to “three-peat” and match his trio of outdoor world titles in the 110m.

“Getting ready to try to make history, do something that nobody’s ever seen before, three indoors, three outdoors,” Holloway, who won his elusive first Olympic gold in Paris last summer, told reporters on Staten Island.

“I’ve got a solid four more years in this sport, I’m going to give it anything and everything I’ve got.”

Holloway, who ended his media scrum at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex with a cheerful “ni hao!”, can expect to have the good share of the media spotlight to himself in Nanjing, with many of US’ brightest stars staying behind.

Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell edged out Grace Stark by two hundredths of a second to win the women’s 60m hurdles in a world-leading 7.74sec, but told reporters she would not travel to China in order to focus on the outdoor season.

“I’m just not in a rush to go back and forth from competition to competition,” she said. “For me, personally, mentally, I like to take a break.”

Nikki Hiltz, who won silver in the 1,500m in Glasgow in 2024, beat Shelby Houlihan (8:48.43) down the final straight to win the 3,000m in 8:48.28, but will also not compete in Nanjing to focus on the start-up Grand Slam Track.

Houlihan returned to competition earlier in 2025 after serving a four-year doping ban that kept her sidelined over the last two Olympics and will compete alongside Hiltz in the 1,500m on Feb 23.

She has always maintained her innocence, saying she believed the positive result was likely caused by organ meat in a pork burrito that she ate, and she fought the ban in the days leading up to the 2021 US trials in a dramatic saga.

Looking ahead to Nanjing, Holloway will be the only American to defend his 2024 title, with sprinter Christian Coleman, 800m winner Bryce Hoppel, shot put record holder Ryan Crouser, 3,000m champion Elle St Pierre and long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall all absent from the US trials.

The American cohort will be bolstered by outdoor world champion Chase Jackson, who won the women’s shot put with 19.65m on her third throw, and Tokyo gold medallist Katie Moon, who cruised over 4.80m to win the women’s pole vault. REUTERS, AFP