- Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial set for May 2025
- Bolivia stun Colombia in World Cup qualifiers
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Greece earn late win against England in Nations League, Italy-Belgium stalemate
- Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' hits US theaters weeks before election
- Pavlidis dedicates 'special' Greece win over England to tragic Baldock
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- 'Like a quake': Beirut shaken after deadliest strikes on centre
- Fallen giants Ghana in AFCON trouble after Sudan draw
- Asian leaders meet in Laos with US, Russia on world turmoil
- England gamble backfires as Pavlidis fires emotional Greece to victory
- Obama stumps for Harris, Trump talks US protectionism
- New-look France ease past Israel in Nations League
- Belgium fight back to draw with 10-man Italy in Nations League
- 'Get a life': Hurricane whips up US election storm
- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
- Obama hits campaign trail for Harris
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Djokovic tells Nadal: 'Your legacy will live forever'
- Ethel Kennedy, wife of RFK, dead at 96
- Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip
Holloway cruises into Olympic 110m hurdles semis, Parchment labours
American Grant Holloway cruised into the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics 110 metre hurdles in impressive style at the Stade de France on Sunday.
But reigning champion Hansle Parchment of Jamaica could only advance as one of the fastest qualifiers after finishing fifth in his heat, outside the automatic top three spots.
Holloway clocked the fastest time of the day, 13.01 seconds, to win his heat, with the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday at 1705 GMT and the final a day later at 1945 GMT.
"I'm looking forward to continue each round and obviously it's the Olympic Games so you've got to be on your Ps and Qs each round," Holloway said.
The 26-year-old is a three-time world champion and the second-fastest man in history at the event, with a personal best of 12.81sec.
But he was surprisingly beaten into silver at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 by Parchment.
"The biggest thing is to execute this time and not really worry about the past and continue to show great form. All roads lead to the final," Holloway said.
"I could have done a little better the first half of the race, but that's what rounds are for. As long as I'm able to get better each round, that's the main thing."
Holloway also stressed that the world record of 12.80sec set by fellow American Aries Merritt in Brussels in 2012 was not exactly on his radar in Paris.
"The final, let's just go for the gold. Everybody is talking about a world record. If it comes, it comes, but the first thing we have to take care of is winning," he said.
Parchment clocked 13.43sec in finishing fifth in his heat, but was unruffled.
"Everyone asks about pressure being the reigning champion," he said. "It's never about pressure, it's not part of it, I'm not thinking about it.
"I'm into the semi-finals. I'll take it from there."
- 'Another opportunity to do my best' -
Holloway's US teammate Freddie Crittenden was last of the hurdlers, clocking a comparatively pedestrian 18.27sec in his heat -- almost five seconds slower than heat winner Louis Francois Mendy of Senegal.
But Crittenden admitted his go-slow pace had essentially been a tactical decision to allow him more time to recover from injury.
"I didn't run hard because I had some aggravation yesterday in my adductor (muscle). There's some activation that didn't work and that's caused pain and discomfort," he said.
Crittenden's Olympics are not over, however, as he now goes into the repechage --- introduced to allow a further round of qualification for athletes in their given event.
"The plan was to use the repechage to get through the rounds, not get disqualified. Then I can run hard in the repechage round in two days, when hopefully the discomfort's gone," he said.
"I'm definitely glad the repechage was here today. I'm still trying to learn the rules but now I have another opportunity to do my best."
Crittenden admitted that athletes' use of the repechage could be "strategic".
"If I'd had to really go for it today to qualify I could easily have crashed out. I could have really hurt myself much worse. It would have been all or nothing," he said.
"The Olympics are the biggest event we have, the pinnacle. And for athletes to train really hard to get here and then have just one round to go for, it is really hard.
"This gives them another opportunity to represent their country and themselves, to show all the hard work they've done."
D.Kaufman--AMWN