Grant Holloway Breaks 60m Hurdle World Record, Tia Jones Equals It at USATF Indoors
By Weldon Johnson
Tia Jones and Grant Holloway set and broke world records in the first round of the 60m hurdles at the 2024 USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jones was up first, and ran 7.67 to tie Devynne Charlton’s world record which was less than a week old, set at Sunday’s Millrose Games.
Holloway ran 7.27 to break his previous world record of 7.29. Holloway ran 7.29 for the first time in 2021 in Madrid, then equalled that record with another 7.29 in the semifinals of the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
Holloway’s record was less surprising as he is not only the reigning world record holder, but the greatest 60m hurdler ever. His world record in the prelims extended his win streak in the 42-inch 60m hurdles to 60 straight races. He has never lost a 42-inch 60m hurdles race in his life, counting prelims and finals.
Holloway pointed his hands to the sky with a #1 gesture when his world record was announced and then did a Superman flex. *Race video
WORLD RECORD FOR GRANT HOLLOWAY 🤯
The king of the 60mH continues his 10-year win streak with a 7.27 WORLD RECORD in the prelims at #USATFIndoors 💥 pic.twitter.com/gasPw56rXu
— USATF (@usatf) February 17, 2024
Grant Holloway celebrates his 60m hurdle world record
Tia Jones’ record was more surprising. Jones has never made the US team for Worlds but was a junior hurdling phenom. She is the US high school record holder, the 2018 World U20 champion, and turned pro while in high school with adidas.
Jones, who entered the year with only a 7.96 pb from 2020, has been running very well in 2024, with the highlight prior to tonight winning the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in 7.72 on February 4. She did a double take when her time was announced, but did not celebrate profusely. She did a little wave to the crowd and then clapped her hands after being congratulated by a few of the other competitors.
Try keeping up with Tia Jones 😤@tia_ajones clocked a 7.67 to match the world record in the women’s 60mH in. the. prelims. 🤯#USATFIndoors | #JourneyToGold pic.twitter.com/fAn2xaTPu1
— USATF (@usatf) February 17, 2024
Tia Jones after equaling world record in 60m hurdles
Albuquerque is at 4,959 feet (1,511m) of elevation, and according to Jonas R. Mureika’s calculator that is worth .03 seconds in a 60m flat race.
What about the finals?
Jones came back and nearly equaled the world record in the final, running 7.68. She left the track with a slight limp.
Holloway already had a bye to the World Championships after winning the 2023 World Indoor Tour and skipped the final. That race was won by Trey Cunningham in 7.39.
60m Hurdles Round 1 Results
Women
| Place | Name | Affiliation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tia Jones | adidas | 7.67 Q AR = WR |
| 2 | Jasmine Jones | USC | 7.82 Q |
| 3 | Christina Clemons | unattached | 7.90 Q |
| 4 | Amber Hughes | unattached | 7.98 q |
| 5 | Cortney Jones | unattached | 8.02 q |
Men
| Place | Name | Affiliation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant Holloway | adidas | 7.27 Q |
| 2 | Cameron Murray | unattached | 7.51 Q |
| 3 | Daniel Roberts | NIKE | 7.58 Q |
| 4 | Freddie Crittenden | Tracksmith/Phoenix TC | 7.59 q |
| 5 | Paris Williams | unattached | 7.69 |
| 6 | Titus Moore | Samford | 7.85 |
| 7 | Parker Bowden | unattached | 8.62 |
| 8 | Jamal Britt | unattached | DNS |
Holloway on the Cooldown Show
Grant Holloway post-race
On the USATF Cooldown Show, Grant said, “I feel good. I would say this one doesn’t hit [me] like the first one or any world title….This one was more just another checkmark off the box.”
Weight Throw World Record
Daniel Haugh shattered the world record (officially a world best) in the weight throw, which is an event primarily contested in the US. Haugh threw 26.35 meters to crush the nearly 30-year-old record of 25.86 by Lance Deal. World Athletics does not even keep a list of the top weight throws each year.
Haugh’s focus is on the hammer throw outdoors and he acknowledged as much on the USATF Cooldown Show after the meet. He said he’ll dabble in the weight for a couple of weeks in the winter and when showed a replay of his world best throw he was critical of his technique and said, “Honestly I think you can throw 90 feet.” (He threw nearly 86.4 feet today).
