A group of Gators Olympians gather recently at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for a photo shoot. Grant Holloway, fourth from right, inspired the event which was shot by UAA photographer Tim Casey, fifth from right. (Photo: Chris Kim/UAA Communications)
Gators In Olympic Games: Grant Holloway
Monday, July 26, 2021 | Track and Field, Scott Carter, Olympics
Share:
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. I'm a big fan of Grant Holloway. If you prefer detached objectivity in your Olympic profiles, this probably isn't the one for you.
However, if you root for the good guys, then hang around. By now, most of you know about Holloway's exploits on the track. He is the reigning world champion in the 110-meter hurdles and the favorite to win gold in the event at the Tokyo Games.
Holloway is the best at what he does in the world. How many of us can say that? Holloway can put a stamp on that moniker by winning gold in Tokyo. Nothing is guaranteed until the finish line, but Holloway appears in prime form heading into his first Olympic Games.
I followed Holloway's rise to the top from a distance during his record-setting UF career. However, I became a fan for life at the 2019 NCAA Championships, when Holloway put on an electric performance at the University of Texas to break a record that had stood for 40 years. Afterward, Holloway's warm personality and unexpected hug showed me a side of him I had heard about but not experienced.
Meanwhile, my University Athletic Association colleague Tim Casey has documented Holloway's star with his camera for more than five years, ever since Holloway arrived from Chesapeake, Va. Casey raved more than once to me about how this Holloway kid was different, about how he had an aura about him that captivates those around him. Casey, unlike myself, was around for the Tim Tebow years. He said Holloway's presence reminded him of No. 15.
Earlier this month, when Holloway and a group of fellow Olympians with UF connections returned to town to train for Tokyo, Holloway messaged Casey to see about getting the group together for a photo shoot. Casey didn't hesitate, setting up a makeshift studio inside the Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"We're Olympians. I'm a first-time Olympian, so it's kind of a big deal to me,'' Holloway said. "This is just to celebrate everyone who is an Olympian here at the University of Florida. He [Casey] understands how hard we work. He's been there. He's seen the trials and tribulations that we go through. To be there for us, to take the pictures, and celebrate this moment. It means a great deal.
"Being part of Gator Track and Field is not just on the track, it's the bond that you make with people outside the track and in the real world. I'm just happy to be here with my family and friends to celebrate it."
Holloway's college career is over, but his time on the world's largest athletic stage is just beginning.
Check him out. Like Casey told me long ago, he's special.
Grant Holloway poses with the gold-plated shoes he will use in Tokyo during a recent photo shoot at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
AT A GLANCE Grant Holloway and Gators head coach Mike Holloway at the 2019 NCAA Championships. SPORT: Track & Field
EVENT: 110-meter hurdles
HOW HE QUALIFIED: He won the 110-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., in late June. Holloway was the favorite and did not disappoint in securing his first trip to the Olympic Games.
TOKYO SCHEDULE: First round of 110-meter hurdles starts Aug. 3, semifinals are Aug. 4, and Olympic Final is Aug. 5.
UF CAREER: Holloway is one of most decorated track-and-field performers in school history, highlighted by winning The Bowerman in 2019 as the top men's track athlete in the country. Holloway capped his career by winning the 110 hurdles at the NCAA Championships, breaking Renaldo Nehemiah's 40-year-old record in the event. He was an eight-time NCAA champion in his career, a school record.
NEED TO KNOW: A four-star receiver coming out of Grassfield High in Chesapeake, Va., Holloway opted to pursue track and field to chase his dream of being in the Olympics. Dream fulfilled.
QUOTE OF NOTE: "It's something that can't be taken away. Five rings. I'm pretty sure as I get older and wiser, I'll figure out really what it means. For me, being 23 years old, I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life, I feel like I'm doing all the right steps to be one of the greatest ever to run the even. Right now, it just means a lifelong dream." – Holloway on being in the Olympics
