By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Grant Holloway will compete for an unprecedented third straight world indoor title in the 60 metres hurdles next month, after cruising to an 82nd consecutive win in the event at the U.S. trials on Saturday.
Holloway 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, whose unbeaten streak in the event extends back more than a decade, 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 year, 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 U.S. athletics’ brightest stars staying behind.
Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell edged Grace Stark by two hundredths of a second to win the 60m hurdles in a world-leading 7.74, 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,” said Russell. “For me, personally, mentally, I like to take a break.”
Nikki Hiltz, who won silver in the 1,500m in Glasgow last year, beat Shelby Houlihan (8:48.43) down the final straight to win the 3,000m in 8:48.28, but will not compete in Nanjing to focus on start-up Grand Slam Track.
Houlihan returned to competition earlier this year after serving a four-year doping ban that kept her sidelined over the last two Games and will compete alongside Hiltz in Sunday’s 1,500m.
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 U.S. trials.
The U.S. cohort will be bolstered by outdoor world champion Chase Jackson, who won the women’s shot put with 19.65 metres on her third throw, and Tokyo gold medallist Katie Moon, who cruised over 4.80 to win the women’s pole vault.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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