Hundreds of locals lined up Friday afternoon outside Chesapeake’s city hall for the chance to meet hometown hero and newly minted Olympic gold medalist Grant Holloway.
The former Grassfield High track star signed autographs with a smile, showing off the hardware he brought back from Paris to schoolkids.
Holloway grew up in Chesapeake, where he competed for national high school running records at Grassfield before heading to the University of Florida, where he was a three-time NCAA champion.
He’s since become a three-time world champion and earned a silver medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics before earning gold at this year’s games in Paris.
Holloway received a key to the city, he said the hometown crowd was making his heart rate spike harder than when he’d walked out on the Olympic track.
He thanked his mother and long-time coach for imparting lessons beyond athletics.
“They have raised me to not only be excellent on the track, but also off the track,” Holloway said, the coveted Olympic gold dangling around his neck.
Holloway told WHRO the Olympic gold is different from other accolades he’s won.
“You’ve got everyone around the world watching you. It’s beautiful, it’s amazing.”
Holloway set the second-fastest time ever in the 110-meter hurdles at this year’s Paris Olympics, where he finally nabbed the gold after earning silver in the 2021 Tokyo games.
Patricia McCoy was among the first locals in line to meet the Olympian.
She was once a bus driver at Grassfield High, but she doesn’t recall ever meeting him or driving him to a track meet.
After congratulating Holloway and getting an autograph, she slipped him a small envelope. She said it was a personal note about how she admired the athlete for being so humble and joyful – on and off the track.
“He really represents our country and I’m proud to have him be an Olympian,” McCoy said.
