Mouths were hanging wide open at Egret Stadium because Grant Holloway, the king of the 110m hurdles, didn’t win. The 2025 Wanda Diamond League season kicked off this Saturday, April 26, in Xiamen, China, and everybody showed up expecting Holloway to put on another masterclass. This guy’s resume is insane — NCAA records, Olympic gold, world titles — you name it, he’s got it. Three indoor titles, three outdoor titles, the world record for 60m hurdles, and more. There is nothing that he cannot do. But the Xiamen Diamond League is an ugly stain on his resume. The Olympic champion clipped the seventh hurdle, landed weirdly, and completely lost his rhythm. Before you could even process what was happening, he had fallen to the very back of the race. Last place.

While everyone was still frozen in shock, Cordell Tinch was out there running like he had a rocket strapped to his back. He crushed it, winning the 110m hurdles in a world-leading 13.06. Muratake Rachid from Japan wasn’t far behind, clocking a strong 13.14 to grab second, and China’s Liu Junxi had the home crowd roaring with a personal best of 13.24 for third. Freddie Crittenden kept the U.S. in the mix with a 13.28 season-best for fourth, while Daniel Roberts also posted a season-best of 13.35 in fifth. Honestly, it was a stacked field and a seriously fast race… but no matter how good everyone else ran, the shocker of the day was still Holloway struggling to even finish.

And just to really let it sink in — Grant Holloway ended up clocking 13.72, finishing dead last in the field. It’s not just a bad day at the office, either — it’s his second loss in a week. His personal best of 12.81s in the 110m hurdles event seemed to have faded into oblivion. For someone who’s used to winning like it’s second nature, this was a plot twist no one saw coming. After his recent disheartening loss at the hands of Trey Cunningham at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, track fans are concerned and wondering if he’s dealing with an injury.

Grant Holloway’s struggles raise injury speculations among fans

One fan commented, ” I hope Grant is ok, right? Doesn’t look good.” Another added, “Bruh, is he hurt or just off? That’s 2 losses in a row. Never seen Holloway like this before. Get better soon 🙌.” A third chimed in, “Holloway looked a lil’ wobbly after that race. Please tell me he’s not dealing with an injury.” Fans are concerned, given the unexpected performance and the way Holloway looked after the race.

Could this be the nagging aftermath of the knee issue that had plagued the hurdler earlier this season? That is not entirely off the table. He’d described hearing a “popping” sound during a heavy front squat session, followed by significant swelling. Despite that, he still managed to claim a victory at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing. Fans are hopeful this won’t be an ongoing problem, but for now, it’s a wait-and-see situation.

One fan couldn’t help but joke, “Dead last, dead dog?” Another questioned, “Grant Holloway in last place? Has that ever happened before?” A third pointed out, “When he doesn’t get that reaction time, it’s over for him — those last 3 hurdles are a real concern.” Another fan added, “Wow, two losses back-to-back for Grant Holloway. Really hoping he’s doing okay.”

Just a few days back, under the warm Florida sun, the energy at the Tom Jones Memorial was off the charts. Grant Holloway, the king of the 110m hurdles, was making his outdoor season debut, and everyone figured he’d roll through it like always. Fresh off his gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, he was the guy to beat — or so we all thought. But then the race started, and Trey Cunningham, who a lot of people probably didn’t even have on their bingo card, came out firing.

Hurdle after hurdle, he stayed sharp and clean, and when they crossed the line, it was Trey’s name at the top — 13.09 seconds, a world lead. Holloway was right there with 13.18, but the message was loud and clear: this season wasn’t going to be some easy victory tour. Just an hour before the DL in Xiamen. Holloway wasn’t ducking anything — he stood right in front of the cameras and owned it.

“This season was to stay undefeated all the way throughout,” he said, really honest about it. “I fell a little bit short last week opening up at Tom Jones to Trey Cunningham who ran an awesome race, so in a little bit of the midst of adversity.” No fake smiles, no excuses — just a champ talking like a champ. “I just got to prove to myself and prove to my team that I’m still that guy,” he added, and you could hear the fire in his voice. No Trey Cunningham in Xiamen this time, but plenty of heavy hitters lined up, like Freddie Crittenden and Olympic champ Hansle Parchment. Holloway wasn’t just chasing a win — he was out there to remind everyone exactly who he was. But then, shockingly, Holloway lost again. The Diamond League didn’t go as planned, and now everyone’s left wondering: What’s next for him?