Grant Holloway won his first Olympic gold medal, punctuating an electric performance in the 110m hurdles on Thursday in 12.99 seconds.
The 26-year-old American looked effortless over each hurdle and more than made up for a disappointing silver in 2021 at the Tokyo Games.
His teammates Daniel Roberts came in second in a photo-finish with Jamaica’s Rashed Broadbell, with both men crossing the line in 13.90 — with Roberts crossing with a final lean to take the silver by just three-thousands of a second.
And it’s the first time since 2012 that American men claimed the top two spots in the 110m hurdles.
“I’m beside myself right now, so happy about everything going on,” Holloway said. “I knew I was in shape, I knew I was capable of completing this feat, and I officially did it. The future is so bright.”
For Holloway, Thursday’s win is the exclamation point in his career that’s been a long time coming, with varying levels of success.
He won three world championships and countless other meets — indoor and out door — but stumbled on the Olympic stage in 2021 and took home the bronze. At those Olympics, he bolted from the blocks with intent and seemed like the gold was a guarantee. But he faltered slightly over the seventh hurdle and Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment nudged out the gold in 13.04. Holloway’s 13.09 was close but seemingly a distant second.
The disappointment fueled his efforts leading into Paris. Holloway has been flawless in nearly a year and has not lost a single heat or race since September 2023.
“Everything else that I can do, I know it’s going to be great,” he said.
