Grant Holloway, the reigning Olympic champion from Paris, has faced a marginal defeat! Hoping to keep his victory streak unbroken in the 110m hurdles, the American’s hopes have just been dashed by a 0.04-second margin! Days after the Paris Olympics, Holloway graced Switzerland for the Lausanne Diamond League. But, his top spot got snatched by a Jamaican rival.

As decided by a photo finish, Rasheed Broadbell’s 13.10s time has made him the new League champion, besting Holloway’s 13.14s by a hair. It’s evident how the tables have turned. Broadbell ran 0.01s slower than his Paris time, one that slipped him to the bronze spot, while Holloway’s 12.99s stint in Paris had won him gold.

Post this defeat, the 26-year-old American remarked, “Coming off that high from the Olympics, it’s challenging to keep that same pace, but I´m focused on learning from this race to run better next time. Once you’ve reached your goals, it can be tough to keep pushing, but I’m prepared to defend my world titles. As long as I’m improving, it’s a good sign.” Keeping a positive outlook, Holloway tried to see the silver lining in the situation—‘to learn from this loss and move forward.’ However, he also admitted that it’s difficult to maintain that winning momentum after the Olympics.

Evidently, a lot has changed in the past few years. At the Tokyo 2021 Games, Holloway was stunned into silence as his Jamaican counterpart, Hansle Parchment took home the gold. But Holloway admits to have grown way past that phase. He had previously mentioned, “I’m older, wiser, and more mature, you know?” Today, a glimpse of that was caught as he confessed that he struggled to maintain the tempo. But, wishes to keep making headway. However, it looks like a new contender is gradually putting himself on the map. Will that be a threat to Holloway?

Grant Holloway vs Rasheed Broadbell

After his Diamond League win today, Broadbell remarked that he was sure of his victory after the last hurdle. He also came in first in the 110 hurdles at the Jamaican National Trials. Thus, Broadbell was anticipated to be a staunch competitor to Holloway at the Olympics. Moreover, he was freshly off a season best time, 13.18s. And also had a sub-13 personal best, making him one to watch out for on the big stage. Nonetheless, Holloway was not far away from the mark. His 12.86s season best at the Olympic Trials, remains the world lead time of 2024 so far.

But, Holloway confesses that he has worked substantially, training himself mentally as well as physically. “You need a lot of mental fortitude.” He constantly challenges himself saying, “Alright, if I don’t do this, let’s do some pushups. It’s like a punishment. You put yourself through those situations so that you know exactly what you need to do to win.” Thus, it only seems monetary, before Holloway bounces back in all his glory. Do you think he cane make a striking comeback? Or has his Paris feat made him too comfortable to keep pushing? Let us know below.