Grant Holloway’s 2025 outdoor season was supposed to start with a bang—but not like this. Sure, the signs were there. Just days before the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, Holloway admitted he hadn’t been in perfect shape at the start of the season. Still, no one expected the Olympic champ to take an “L” in Gainesville—especially not on home turf. But that’s exactly what happened.
Trey Cunningham, the 2022 world silver medalist, dropped a scorching 13.09 to win the 110m hurdles and set the world lead, shocking everyone by beating Holloway, who finished second in 13.18. Cunningham wasn’t just good—he was lights out. Smooth, focused, and explosive from the gun, he made a massive statement in a race where all eyes were on Grant. Holloway didn’t run poorly by any stretch, but the spark just wasn’t there.
Dylan Beard took third in 13.33, and Orlando Bennett followed in 13.39, but the night belonged to Cunningham. Beating the Olympic champ with a world-leading time? That’s how you crash a party. But the cracks in Grant Holloway’s armor were showing before the race even started.
Trey Cunningham 13.09 world lead to beat Grant Holloway in the Tom Jones Memorial 110mH final! pic.twitter.com/ABm0EYAjOp
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) April 19, 2025
On April 17, Holloway revealed on Beyond The Records with Noah Lyles and Rai Benjamin. He opened up about racing through knee pain all season. “I had 435 front squats on my back… and I could literally hear my knee kind of like popping as I was going down,” he added, “Thirty minutes later, my knee swelled up like a balloon,” he said of the original injury, adding that he’d been running with Kinesio tape and subconsciously guarding it in races. “No excuses,” he said, but admitted it definitely affected his rhythm.
Hurdling is all about timing and flow, and if your knee’s not right? That edge—his biggest weapon—is dulled. The loss wasn’t totally out of nowhere—it just finally caught up to him. And let’s not forget, Holloway’s been stretched thin lately. Between training, racing, podcasting, traveling, and being the face of U.S. sprint hurdling, it’s fair to wonder if the pace is finally taking a toll. He’s still one of the best to ever do it, but Saturday’s upset showed he’s not invincible. And sure, Trey Cunningham delivered a masterclass, but the big question lingers: if Grant Holloway had been at 100%, would Trey have even had a chance?
Could a fully fit Grant Holloway have stopped Cunningham’s surge?
Grant Holloway’s recent defeat at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational marks a rare blemish in an otherwise stellar career. Historically, Holloway has been a dominant force in the 110m hurdles, with his last significant loss occurring at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In that race, despite leading early, he was overtaken by Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment, finishing with a silver medal in 13.09 seconds. Since then, Holloway has demonstrated remarkable consistency, securing his third consecutive world title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships with a time of 12.96 seconds.
Given this track record, it’s reasonable to speculate that if Grant Holloway had been in peak physical condition during the Tom Jones Invitational, he might have secured a better position. His personal best stands at 12.81 seconds, and he has consistently posted sub-13-second times when fully fit. In contrast, Trey Cunningham’s winning time at the Invitational was 13.09 seconds. This suggests that a fully healthy Holloway could have matched or surpassed that performance, potentially altering the race outcome.
Moreover, Holloway’s recent admission of a knee injury sustained during training sheds light on his performance. He described hearing a “popping” sound during a heavy front squat session, leading to significant swelling. Managing such an injury, especially in a discipline that demands explosive power and precise timing, undoubtedly impacts performance.
Additionally, Grant Holloway’s extensive commitments, including training, competitions, and media engagements, may contribute to physical and mental fatigue. Balancing these responsibilities while recovering from an injury presents a formidable challenge. Therefore, while Trey Cunningham’s victory is commendable, it’s plausible that a fully fit Holloway might have delivered a different result.
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