Grant Holloway sets sights on Olympic gold with 110m hurdles win at U.S. Trials: 'It speaks for itself' - Day Eight wrap
Grant Holloway says he has unfinished business to attend to at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Three years after a "bitter race" left him with silver at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, the 110m hurdler sent a message to the rest of the world with three sub-13 second times at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - track & field, his 12.86 world-leading time giving him the win on Friday evening (28 June) in Eugene, Oregon.
"Two-time Olympian. It speaks for itself," a satisfied Holloway said on NBC. "My goal was to execute each round."
He did just that, leading Freddie Crittenden (12.93) and Daniel Roberts (12.96) in second and third, respectively. Their collective sub-13 effort makes it the first race in history to see a trio go under the 13-second mark.
All three men are set to be named to Team USA for the coming Olympic Games Paris 2024*, which will be a second for Holloway and Roberts and a first for Crittenden.
"It means the world to me," said Crittenden, who is set to welcome his first child with his wife soon.
Globally, only Italy's Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli has come close to that 13-second mark this season, going 13.05 to win the European Championships earlier this month.
"In four or five weeks, I want to be back in that race," said Holloway of the Olympic final, set for 8 August.
It was a personal best time for Crittenden, who improved his previous best time of 13 flat.
The men's 110m hurdles was the lone final on a busy second Friday at Hayward Field, where semi-finals took place in the men's 200m, 800m, 400m hurdles, women's 200m and women's 1500m.
See a full wrap of the actin below. 100m winners Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson are on the cusp of wins in the 200m, too. See the men's report here and the women's here.
- Gabby Thomas clocks world lead in 200m, sets up final vs. Sha'Carri Richardson
- Noah Lyles surprises even himself with 200m semi time
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Masai Russell blasts to top of women’s 100m hurdles
The pace was hot and cold in round one of the women’s 100m hurdles. Masai Russell fired up the crowd at Hayward Field, setting the fastest time by an American this season with a personal best of 12.35.
Russell told U.S broadcaster NBC, “I didn't think I ran that fast, but that's a good thing.”
The 2023 NCAA runner-up explained how her race played out: “I was just letting my acceleration unfold. Just doing what I do. I wanted to make it to the line and close it out.”
We’ll have to wait until semi-finals to see favorite Nia Ali race in full flight, as the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist boasting two golds at World Indoors, too (2014, 2016). The 35-year-old Ali opted for a casual pace to finish last in her heat - by a fair distance, clocking a 20.38.
The catch? It was a rather strategic move, with the entire round one field moving onto the semi-finals after a few scratches.
Alaysha Johnson (12.37 for a season's best) and Tonea Marshall (12.41 personal best) earned the next fastest times heading into the semi-finals Saturday (29 June). Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, Keni Harrison, was fourth among qualifiers, clocking a season's best 12.49.
Rai Benjamin breezes into 400m hurdles final
In the men's 400m hurdles semis, another reigning Olympic silver medallist in Rai Benjamin continued his dominant march to finals, leading Friday’s field with a time of 47.97, followed by CJ Allen at 48.16 and Aldrich Bailey's 48.69, all competing in heat three.
Rai Benjamin hit another gear with 150 metres to go, then sauntered the last 50 across the finish line.
He says his strategy for the semi-finals was to "scout the first three hurdles, set it up, see what it was like coming home, then shut it down."
He told broadcaster NBC that this Trials was not about times for him, but instead just focusing on making the team: "I think once I do that, everything else will take care of itself."
Heading into the final, Benjamin says his plan is to fine tune his attack: “Coming back, cleaning up that backstretch because I was a little fast. So just cleaning that up for [the final] and then making this team.”
Caleb Dean, Trevor Bassitt, David Kendziera, Chris Robinson, James Smith and Khallifah Rosser lead the field advancing into Sunday’s finals.
Rowdy heat one sees Nikki Hiltz lead 1500m semis
The fastest action was in heat one of the women’s 1500m, where mid-race jostling preceded the top five breaking free, led by Nikki Hiltz, who was looking to make a statement with a 4.01.40. Sinclaire Johnson, Heather MacLean, Cory McGee and Elle St. Pierre followed to qualify for the final, too.
A comparatively tame heat two saw Emily Mackay, Elise Cranny, Helen Schlachtenhaufen, Maggi Congdon, Addy Wiley, Dani Jones and Christina Aragon advancing through.
In a heartbreaking moment, Sage Hurta-Klecker missed qualifying, finishing in sixth place, another disappointment after her 800m finals race was disrupted amidst Athing Mu's fall.
Looking ahead to finals, Hiltz shared the winning formula to win the final, saying it would take, “Speed and strength and belief more than anything.
“No one on that start line is any better than anyone else - we all do the training, we all put in the work and I think you need a little bit of luck, too," the world indoor silver medallist from earlier this year said.
The women have a day of rest before Sunday’s (30 June) final.
Hobbs Kessler sprints past Brandon Miller to lead men’s 800m semi-final
Hobbs Kessler and Brandon Miller went neck in neck over the finish line in the 800-metre semi-final in heat two.
Kesseler ran Miller down, setting a personal best time of 1:43.71, a jump up from his previous best of 1:45.07. Miller finished with a near photo finish, only .02 seconds behind, earning his personal best time of 1:43.72.
Bryce Hoppel led his heat with a time of 1:44.01. Following round one, Hoppel told a group of reporters that he’s chasing a 1:42 in finals. The field has a rest day before returning on Sunday (30 June) for the final.
Also advancing are Abraham Alvarado, Jonah Koech, Shane Cohen, Tinoda Matsatsa, Joey Hoey, and Clayton Murphy.
Winger wings round one lead in javelin
A busy day of round-one field events saw four-time Olympian Kara Winger came out of retirement to return to the javelin runway, with the best throw of the day at 63.01m (206 feet, 8 inches) on her second attempt.
Winger is going for her fifth Olympic Games. She shared that she’s hoping to throw a 64m at these Trials, saying: “It’s all on the line on Sunday. I don't usually love the drama, but in this case I love the drama.”
Other field events that kicked off Friday included women’s pole vault and shot put, as well as men's triple jump and hammer throw.