Just weeks ago in Nanjing, Grant Holloway reminded the world why he’s still the man to beat. After all, being a three-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion does put you on an elite list! Clocking 7.42 seconds, the 27-year-old cruised through the 60m hurdles final with signature ease and swagger. And that 0.12 seconds finish before Belocian? Ooof! It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Now with Paris as the next stop on his global takeover tour, a familiar rival might be the lookout to flip the script.

After winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Holloway said, “To have this gold medal around my neck, this is everything I want, you know?” Additionally, it is safe to say that his dominance is not a question anymore. Just last month in Lievin, he recorded a world lead of 7.36. And in Nanjing? Absolute bangers with 7.49 and 7.48 to sit at the top of the standings in the heats and semis. Though his winning time of 7.42 was 0.15 short of his own indoor world record, he still managed to sail through pretty comfortably. And with this victory, he is only the second man in the history of World Indoors, to win three 60m hurdles titles after Allen Johnson, who won them in 1995, 2003, and 2004.

And now, another showdown is set to happen soon. But the Diamond League isn’t just a tour—it’s where reputations are built and rivalries ignite. Paris, one of its marquee stops, will be bringing the heat with a stacked lineup. With high stakes for athletes like Grant Holloway, the upcoming league can take an unexpected turn.

World Athletics has announced the entries of the upcoming league with the caption, “Olympic champ @Flaamingoo_, European champ Cyrena Samba-Mayela & world indoor silver medalist Wilhem Belocian will headline the sprint hurdles at the @MEETINGPARIS.” All three champions are all set to light up the sprint hurdles at the Meeting de Paris, part of the Wanda Diamond League on June 20.

Grant Holloway is heading back to Paris—and it’s personal. The three-time world champ won the 2023 Meeting de Paris with 12.9. And then nearly matched that time to claim Olympic gold in the same city a year later. Now, he’s back to defend his turf. His longtime rival, Wilhem Belocian, is coming in hot too. After finishing behind Holloway at the 2025 World Indoors, he’s ready to flip the script—especially with a home crowd behind him. “I need to regularly compete against the very best athletes and the Meeting de Paris will give me a great opportunity to do just that,” Belocian said.

Also returning to French soil is Cyrena Samba-Mayela, the Olympic silver medalist and European champ who broke the 12.31 French outdoor record. After a solid off-season with Tonja Buford-Bailey’s elite training group in Texas, she’s fired up to race in front of her home fans for the first time since her medal-winning run. Paris isn’t just another Diamond League stop, it’s where history, rivalry, and redemption collide. The Diamond League can work as a test towards Holloway’s mission.

Paris as a litmus test, Grant Holloway’s Olympic road gets tougher

Grant Holloway isn’t just running races—he’s building a dynasty. Since bursting onto the elite scene, the American hurdler has stacked up a jaw-dropping resume: three consecutive world outdoor titles in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and an unmatched streak of three world indoor championships in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Add to that Grant Holloway’s gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a stunning 12.81s finish, and you’ve got a career most athletes can only dream of.

Oh, and let’s not forget—he hasn’t lost a 60m hurdles race indoors in over a decade. In fact, Justin Gatlin has also not held back, and while talking about Grant Holloway in his Ready Set Go podcast, he said, “I wish I was Grant Holloway, all we do is win, win, win, no matter what. That boy is the epitome of that song, seriously.” You could almost hear the beat drop in the background.

But Gatlin wasn’t just being playful—he meant every word. “I wish I was Grant Holloway; all we do is win, win, win, no matter what. That boy is the epitome of that song seriously,” he added, doubling down on the winning mentality Holloway lives by. And it’s not just talk, Gatlin knows greatness when he sees it, and he backs it up.

But staying on top? That’s the real challenge. With the Diamond League Paris approaching, Holloway’s locked in. Further, he also has his sights already set on LA 2028. He’s not coasting, he’s refining- turning every race into a test run for the next Olympic podium.