Grant Holloway has rarely allowed defeat to enter his orbit. From Doha to Eugene, Budapest to Paris, the American hurdler has collected titles with a regularity that borders on the routine. Indoors, his grip on the 60-meter hurdles has been absolute, stretching back more than a decade to his high school dominance. This March in Nanjing, he added yet another milestone by becoming the first man to secure three consecutive World Indoor crowns. Yet as the outdoor calendar has unfolded in 2025, the narrative has shifted. A knee injury, unexpected withdrawals, and uncharacteristic finishes have brought questions. Among those raising the issue most directly is Justin Gatlin.

Holloway’s record this season presents a sharp contrast between brilliance and struggle. He began the year by winning the U.S. Indoor Championships with a world-leading 7.36 seconds and then delivered the gold medal performance in Nanjing. Outdoors, however, the campaign has faltered. A tenth-place finish (last) in Xiamen 110m hurdles was followed by withdrawals in Shanghai and Atlanta as he worked through a midseason knee setback. His return in Paris produced a fifth-place 13.11, and even a runner-up result in Silesia at 13.15 left him unsatisfied. While his résumé already guarantees him a wild card for the World Championships in Tokyo, the inconsistency has drawn attention because it is so foreign to an athlete who has long made winning seem inevitable.

That shift is precisely what Gatlin highlighted on the Tidal League podcast. “Listen, usually you’ll have athletes get injured early in the season because their body’s not used to running that fast or later in the season because their body’s been taxed because of the season. To get hurt midseason and have a whatever injury that, you know, Grant Holloway has and he’s working through, I think he’s working through like a true champion, man,” Gatlin explained. He pointed to Holloway’s gradual return, noting that earlier races barely saw him reach the line, while in Silesia, he placed second in 13.15 against Cordell Tinch’s 13.0.

For Gatlin, the broader picture lies not only in the times but also in Holloway’s approach. “It’s like you want to jump out the box quick. All right. Ran. Well, hey, I’m trying to drop something now so I can go get my medal. Taking his time. He’s working his way through it,” he explained. The phrase “trying to drop” framed his belief that Holloway is carefully measuring his season, aiming to peak when the medals are at stake rather than burning too early. In Gatlin’s view, time is on Holloway’s side, provided he can convert the coming weeks into sharpening both body and mind.

The analysis also acknowledged the growing strength of rivals. Gatlin pointed out that “obviously Tinch went a 130. But you got to also remember with Tinch, Tinch already ran 128 this year, so he has a different level of confidence compared to all the other competitors.” He also referenced the rise of Rachid Muratake from Japan, who just hit a national record of 12.92 and will benefit from competing at home in Tokyo. That mix of emerging challengers, Gatlin stressed, makes the 2025 World Championships one of the most competitive hurdles fields in recent memory.

Even so, Gatlin underlined Holloway’s ability to navigate the pressure if he channels the right focus.

“He has to be able to get out there and really dial in and focus in training and get back to,” he said, cutting himself off but leaving the implication clear: Holloway’s season is about reassembling the rhythm that once seemed unshakable. With his indoor dominance reaffirmed and his outdoor path still unsettled, Holloway remains both a defending champion and a target. Gatlin’s words serve less as a critique and more as an appeal to watch closely, for the hurdler’s next few races may decide whether 2025 becomes a story of recovery or of disruption to a reign that has lasted nearly a decade.

But meanwhile, Holloway’s rare stumble in Paris in June 2025 has shifted attention to whether he can reassert himself at the upcoming US Championships as Trey Cunningham gains momentum.

Grant Holloway stumbles in Paris as Trey Cunningham surges ahead before the US championships

Grant Holloway’s position atop the men’s sprint hurdles has long appeared immovable, yet Paris provided another reminder that even the most secure reigns can be unsettled. The reigning Olympic and three-time world champion controlled the early stages of the 110m hurdles, only to falter in the final strides and relinquish the race to compatriot Trey Cunningham. Holloway’s fifth-place finish in 13.11 seconds followed directly on from his uncharacteristic struggles earlier this season, and the result deepened the sense that he has yet to rediscover his trademark rhythm.

Cunningham, in contrast, appeared composed and determined as he carved out a personal best of 13.00 seconds to seize victory. It marked a breakthrough moment for the 2022 world silver medallist, who has spent the intervening years circling the edge of the discipline’s highest tier. He was followed closely by Dylan Beard in 13.02 and Switzerland’s Jason Joseph in 13.07, leaving Holloway not only off the podium but forced into reflection just as the domestic championship season arrives.

What once seemed unthinkable, a string of defeats for Holloway, is now a central storyline in the men’s hurdles.

The United States Championships now loom as a proving ground. Holloway already holds his place for the World Championships as defending champion, but his performances in June have left supporters and analysts scrutinizing every stride. He has previously stepped away from finals when qualification was assured, yet the coming weekend carries unusual weight.

With Cordell Tinch setting the year’s global standard at 12.87 and Cunningham finally pressing toward the elusive sub-13 barrier, the prospect of Holloway reasserting his dominance is no longer taken for granted. The focus has shifted from records to resilience, and the Eugene track will reveal whether the champion can restore both form and certainty.