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Team USA’s Holloway and Richardson Shine on Night Three in Budapest
Americans Grant Holloway and Sha’Carri Richardson delivered standout performances on the third night of the Budapest ’23 World Athletics Championships in Hungary.
In a highly anticipated 100m final, Sha’Carri Richardson surged from lane 9 to clinch the gold, setting a championship record and matching the world-leading time of 10.65. Using her renowned top-end speed, Richardson overtook world leader Shericka Jackson (10.72) and reigning champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.77) at the finish line.
Beginning with a solid start, Richardson remained competitive throughout the race. Around the 50m mark, she was on par with most competitors. Between 65-75m, she surpassed Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou (10.81), and her unmatched speed allowed her to overtake both Fraser-Pryce and Jackson.
After her victory, Richardson remarked, “I’m here. I’m the champion. I told you all. I’m not back, I’m better.”
Holloway clinched gold in the men’s 110m hurdles, marking his third consecutive win with a season-best time of 12.96. He displayed impeccable form from the start, clearing the hurdles with ease and maintaining his lead throughout.
Although he slowed slightly towards the end, with Hansle Parchment, the Jamaican who bested him in the Tokyo Olympics, narrowing the gap, Holloway still finished with a clear lead. His time of 12.96 was just 0.05 seconds off the championship record set by Jackson in 1993. Parchment secured silver with a season-best 13.07, while bronze went to Holloway’s US teammate, Daniel Roberts, with a time of 13.09.
Grant Holloway commented, “Three in a row. The main goal was to defend my title. I’ve maintained consistency this year, and I aimed to continue that here. I felt no pressure, focusing on a clean run and staying composed at the finish. I was a bit sloppy towards the end, but that’s due to the fatigue we all feel in the hurdles.”
In the men’s triple jump, Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango claimed his first global title with a jump of 17.64m. Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert, who qualified for the final with 17.70m, had to withdraw after his first attempt was forced to withdraw with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Cuban athletes secured the silver and bronze positions: Lazaro Martinez took silver with 17.41m, and Cristian Napoles earned bronze with a personal best of 17.40m.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Americans Rai Benjamin (47.24) and Trevor Bassitt (47.38), along with Jamaican Roshawn Clarke, who set a world U20 and Jamaican senior record with 47.34, advanced to the final.
The women’s 400m semi-finals also took place on Monday. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic led the qualifiers with a time of 49.50, while Sada Williams set a new Barbados record with 49.58, securing her spot in the final.
BY ANTHONY FOSTER FOR THE NACAC ATHLETICS