USA’s Grant Holloway (centre) wins the men’s 110 hurdles final as Jamaica’s Omar Mcleod (right) lies on the track. Picture: Abdul basit / The Peninsula
Team USA’s Grant Holloway grabbed a gold medal on his world championships debut, in what was a night of heartbreak for defending champion Omar McLeod at the Khalifa International Stadium.
US collegiate champion Holloway clocked 13.10 to win his maiden gold medal at the worlds, with neutral athlete Sergey Shubenkov (13.15) and Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13.18) winning the silver and bronze medals.
“I am speechless. It’s my first major championships and a lot of people were counting me out because I’ve been off the game in the last month or so, but when you have motivation you never lose. I kept believing myself, I kept focused and stayed healthy,” said Holloway.
McLeod, the reigning Olympic champion, was favourite to retain his title at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, and was in good rhythm till yesterday’s semi-final, which he topped with a time of 13.08 - a time better than American’s victory mark.
Holloway took the lead in the beginning but McLeod recovered through the middle section. The Jamaican was close to winning the gold but then he hit the hurdle and the deck, paving the way for Holloway to take gold.
“I felt my hamstring as I came off the first hurdle so then I was thinking about it, not my technique. It grabbed me again halfway through. But I gave it my all,” said dejected McLeod.
“I made a lot of sacrifices this season to get here. I showed up ready and had heart,” he added.
Sergey also gained from the fall of McLeod, who totally disrupted the run of Diamond League champion Orlando Ortega in the next lane, and was disqualified.
Meanwhile, it seemed favourite Dalilah Muhammad will face a stiff challenge from Sydney McLaughlin after her USA team-mate posted the best time in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-final, yesterday.
McLaughlin maintained top balance throughout the race and was quickest in the semi-final with a time of 53.81.
Dalilah, however, made light work to top the first semi-final heat in 53.91. It was an effortless sub-54 by the world record holder as she eased into the final, barely looking out of breath.
