Grant Holloway is always a fun interview. Today, he entertained the assembled remote media with his answers and his teasing of Cole Hocker. The Olympic silver medalist has a great sense of humor and an appreciation of what he is trying to do.
Grant Holloway takes the 60m hurdles, in 7.41, 2022 Muller Indoor GP, February 19, 2022, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
I was sitting in the new Hayward Field last summer, and it was hot.
So hot, that Grant Holloway blazed a fine 12.81 in the 110m hurdles. This was the fastest time since 2012 when Aries Merritt, the 2012 Olympic champion, set the world record. Aries ran 12.80. When I spoke to Aries, that summer, he told me that he knew it was coming, but just not when.
When Grant Holloway ran his 12.81, it was stunning. He ran a complete race, not letting up on the last four hurdles, or getting too excited, as he sometimes does (an observance from a keen observer that I respect). Grant was all there.
In the final, he got a bit too excited, and his time was good, just not Holloway-esque.
In Tokyo, Grant Holloway took the Olympic silver. Oh, how tired he must be of American media asking him how he feels about not winning the Olympic gold. In this country, we have a dangerous focus on taking the gold medal. We do not appreciate that athletes are lucky to make an Olympic team with the quality of US athletes in almost every event in track & field. And then, making an Olympic final, and finally, to have all of your act together when you are in an Olympic final.
Grant Holloway was 99 percent there in Tokyo. The problem was, Hansle Parchment was 100 percent there.
Holloway learned a big lesson.
He spoke about it at Millrose, and he is trying to educate, oh so gently media who have all of his stats on their Ipads, MacBooks and phones. Technology be damned. Unless you are all there, at the right time, one does not take first.
So, Grant Holloway is on his own quest, winning gold in Belgrade, Eugene, and Paris.
He is focused, he has a great team, and he knows that it will require the very best he has to offer.
This writer knows Grant Holloway can do it.
