The US Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., began with historic achievements on Friday evening as Grant Holloway and Tia Jones both set world records in the men’s and women’s 60m hurdles, respectively.
Grant Holloway, known for being the first and only person to ever break 7.30 seconds in the 60m hurdles, did so again with a time of 7.27 seconds. ALSO READ: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Launches New Book Amidst Pre-Olympic Tour
“I knew I had it in me; the biggest thing was to find out here and execute,” Holloway stated after shaving 0.02 hundredths of a second off his 7.29 mark from Madrid in 2021 and coming within 0.05 hundredths of a second of his former world lead (7.32).
“I knew it was going to be good once I got out of the blocks; my main thing was to continue going through my steps and my rhythm,” Holloway continued. “7.27 here at a nice track is always a good thing,” he added.
The American hurdle star has maintained an unbeaten streak in this event, extending back to his schoolboy days.
The reigning Indoor World Champion holds seven of the ten fastest times in history, including three sub-7.30 performances. His most recent was at the 2022 World Championship finals in Belgrade.
With the top five marks in the world rankings this season, along with an automatic bye, Holloway was exempt from having to secure his trip to Glasgow for a title defense in the final. Instead, Holloway will wait until March to represent the United States and test his limits.
“I don’t have to run the final since I have the wildcard from last year; excited to see what young men are going to come out here and join me,” he said.
Veteran Trey Cunningham won the final in 7.39, with Cameron Murray (7.45) and outdoor World Championship medalist Daniel Roberts (7.48) finishing second and third, respectively.
A three-time world champion outdoors in the 110m, the only accolade missing from Holloway’s resume is an Olympic title, aiming for redemption in Paris to upgrade his silver from Tokyo to gold.
Tia Jones matched a record that was set just a week prior. Her time of 7.67 seconds equaled the performance of Bahamian Devynne Charlton, who defeated her and her former world lead of 7.72 at the previous Sunday’s Millrose Games.
“It’s never going to be just one thing; it’s how you put it together on the track that day,” Jones remarked at a press conference hours before her preliminary heat.
Jones won the final later Friday evening with another impressive time of 7.68 seconds, only a hundredth of a second slower than her preliminary race, co-holding the second fastest time ever with former world record holder Susanna Kullar of Sweden, set in 2008. Joining her in Glasgow are Jasmine Jones (7.78 seconds) and Masai Russell (7.80 seconds).
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