(Football news) The Olympic champion Hansle Parchment withdrew at the last minute due to an injury he suffered in the warm up. The year’s fastest competitor Devon Allen was disqualified after a false start as boos rang out at Hayward Field before the race finally got underway. None of which bothered Grant Holloway, who ignored all the chaos and led from start to finish to retain his 110m hurdles title and lead a 1-2 US finish at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Holloway clocked a time of 13.03 to become the first man to capture back-to-back world titles in the hurdles since four-time world champion Allen Johnson did it in 2001 and 2003.

Holloway did well to hold off NCAA champion Trey Cunningham, who took the silver in 13.08 for his first medal on the global stage. Asier Martinez of Spain pulled off a surprise when he earned the bronze medal in a personal best of 13.17. Holloway’s victory subsequently extended the long-running US dominance in the men’s sprint hurdles. It was the 11th gold for the US in this particular event and 18 World Championships and the 25th medal overall, which is nearly three times as many as the next country, Great Britain with nine. The US had a chance of sweeping the medals until the pre race favourite Devon Allen was disqualified for leaving the blocks 0.099 seconds, a mere one thousandth of a second quicker than the rules.

Despite his repeated protests to the judges, Allen was shown a red card and had to leave the track. The 27-year-old former University of Oregon star was bitterly disappointed as he ran the third-fastest time ever last month, clocking 12.84 at the New York Grand Prix which was just 0.04 off the world record. It was Allen’s last appearance on the track before he starts his professional American football career as a wide receiver in the NFL. He is set to report to training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, who recently signed him as a free agent after he impressed scouts by running the 40-yard dash in an unofficial time of 4.35.

Allen’s disqualification was the second moment of drama after Olympic champion Hansle Parchment of Jamaica injured himself while warming, hitting the second hurdle and then limping out of the race. Parchment had beaten Holloway to the gold at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, and the two seemed destined for a showdown in the final. Holloway won his first semifinal in a season’s best timing of 13.01, which was the fastest semi final time ever at a World Championships but soon after Parchment answered the challenge by winning his semifinal in 13.02.m. For Martinez, the bronze medal was more than he could have ever expected as the 22-year-old Spaniard finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and fourth in the 60m hurdles at this year’s World Indoor Championships 

“I’m excited to get a world title here in America. This sport, this atmosphere is what I live for. This is my first world title in America so it is even more special for me this time. There's not much I can do,” he said after the DQ. “It's just one race, but it's frustrating. Track and field is so difficult because you train the whole year for one competition that lasts 13 seconds. Your identity is based on one competition, which is frustrating. It happens and I'll learn from it and not react as fast next time.” the 24-year-old Holloway said.

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