The favorites held form in both the 60m hurdles and Women’s 60m finals, with Julien Alfred and Grant Holloway leading the way.
The 60m (flat and hurdles) finals were the marquee events for Day 2 of the Indoor World Championships in Glasgow on Saturday, as both witnessed world record races.
In the Men’s hurdles final, Grant Holloway put together perhaps the greatest season ever in event history, adding another remarkable chapter to his unprecedented and undefeated career. The American has not lost in this event as a professional athlete. His last loss was as a sophomore in high school back in 2014. Not only that, for the second time this season, Holloway ran under 7.30, with a 7.29 victory. He is the only man under 7.30 in this event, and he has done it four times, including his world record of 7.27 from February.
“When you figure it out, you want to try to run consistently every time,” said Holloway. “I’m pumping out these 7.3s, and you guys are getting used to it; that’s the norm that’s just Grant.”
Holloway’s time on Saturday is also a championship record.
Italian Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli finished second in 7.43, while Frenchman Just Kwaou-Mathey clinched the bronze in 7.47.
St. Lucian Julien Alfred continued to demonstrate her dominance and why she is not one to be overlooked in Paris this summer. Winning her country’s first global title ever in athletics, she clocked a world-leading 6.98.
“I feel so happy right now,” she said in a post-race interview with Flotrack. “I have been dreaming for such a long time to give my country their first-ever medal,” Alfred responded on the significance of her accomplishment to St. Lucia. “I just feel so happy, so overwhelmed, and ecstatic right now.”
Julien Alfred got out of the blocks decently. However, the rest of the podium was right there with her for a majority of the 60m as Alfred had to power away from Swoboda and Dosso over the final meters.
“Just get out,” were Alfred’s thoughts on her game plan for her start. “I know my top-end speed was there, but my start is not the best, and Swoboda has such a great start, so my main focus was to just get out, just hang on, and continue to push to the line.”
Similar to Holloway in the hurdles, not only is Alfred winning, but she is consistently running around the 7-second barrier (she qualified for this final in 7.03 and 7.02). This is the second time this season she broke 7 seconds after running 6.99 at the Millrose Games.
Second place was Polish star Ewa Swoboda’s 7.00 effort, while Italian Zaynab Dosso was third with 7.05.
When asked about her ambitions outside this Olympic year:
“I’m just taking it one step at a time, one race at a time, and just practicing how to execute.”
