Sha’Carri Richardson Backs 110m Hurdles Favorite Grant Holloway for Tokyo Olympics 2021

Sha’Carri Richardson was shockingly omitted from Team USA’s squad for the Tokyo Olympics and won’t get to participate in the 100m sprint event or the 4x100m relay event. Her omission was quite a shocking blow to fans and athletes alike, but Richardson herself has made peace with the situation. 

Even though she won’t take part in the Olympics this year, the sprinter continues to be a deep fan of the sport and will surely tune in to watch her team perform in Tokyo. Sha’Carri Richardson even hinted at her favorite in a recent Tweet, backing Grant Holloway for a great performance.

Indeed, Grant Holloway has been that good this year. Mastering the art of hurdles, he has maintained his status as the favorite to win gold in Tokyo. Clocking in at 12.96 in the 110m hurdles finals at the Trials, he placed first and qualified for the Olympics. 

The limelight of his performance was in the semifinals when he clocked an insane 12.81, just one-hundredth of a second short of the all-time record set by Aries Merritt in 2012. The feat was a new best for him. 

Grant Holloway is not focused on the all-time record

Holloway is heavily pitted to go on and break that record and is a constant feature in such discussions. However, the 23-year-old is not focused on the record as much as he is on the gold medal.

“Everybody knows what my goal is,” Holloway said in a post-race interview. “As long as [the medal is] a gold, it doesn’t matter what the time is.” 

Holloway already holds the world record in 60m hurdles which are held indoors and not a part of Olympic contests. He could put himself amongst the best hurdlers of all time by possibly breaking this record as well.

“We’ll find out. I just think at this point it’s definitely possible. … It’s just executing at a very high level and figuring out ways to continue to get better,” Holloway said.

Grant Holloway forms part of a very promising hurdles team representing the USA. Rai Benjamin participating in the 400m hurdles event is also a favorite for the gold, not to mention Sydney McLaughlin who broke the world record in the women’s 400m hurdles in the trials. 

A hurdler can only focus on one thing, and that’s the obstacle ahead. Grant Holloway knows the record can be his downfall if he takes a step too quick, and will take the sport one goal at a time.