By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE the fact that indoors is not his forte, Steven Gardiner opened the 2019 season with a record-breaking performance at the University of South Carolina Indoor Open.
On Saturday at the South Carolina Indoor Facility, Gardiner pulled away from the field in the one and-a-half lap race on the 200-metre track, shutting it down as he crossed the finish line in a time of 32.26 seconds.
In the process, the 23-year-old native from Moore’s Island, Abaco, lowered his Bahamian national record of 32.51 that he established on January 12, 2018 at the Blazer Invite in Birmingham, Alabama and his own facility record of 33.03 that he recorded on January 18 at the Gamecock Inaugural Invitational.
“I was pretty pleased with it because everybody knows I don’t like to run indoors,” Gardiner said.
“I’ve been training pretty good and so it was good to get out there and do very well in competition.”
Gardiner said his coach Gary Evans just instructed him to go out and run.
“I went out there and he told me to just keep it going, so I went all the way around and I did a personal best, national record, meet record and world leading time. All those good stuff.”
Gardiner, competing for Adidas, was followed by Nicholas Remy in 33.70. Josiah Johnson got third in 34.83.
“I was surprised because last year I ran 32.5 and this year I ran 32.2,” said
Gardiner, who is now done with indoors for the year and will be gearing up for the start of the outdoor season.
“Last year, I ran 32.5 and I ran 42.8 (in the 400m outdoors), so this year I ran 32.2 and I feel a lot stronger and much better, so hopefully I can open up very fast and do another PR.”
As he prepare for what should be a very competitive outdoor season, Gardiner is expected to make his debut in Shanghai, China on May 18 in the second stop of the IAAF Diamond League where he’s expected to compete in the 400m.
But the goal is to go to the IAAF’s XVII World Championships in Doha, Qatar, September 26 to October 7 where he hope to get on the podium, preferably with the gold medal.
As the Bahamian outdoor 200 and 400m record holder, Gardiner said he’s keeping it a secret what his plans are for this year in terms of whether he will run either race or both.
“Let’s keep it a surprise. I’m getting better in the 400 and I’m getting even better in the 200m, so I’m going to have everybody waiting for the surprise,” he chuckled.
“Whatever I do, it’s going to be a surprise because I know I’m going to run very well this year.”
Last year, Gardiner closed out his season with a national record of 19.75 in the 200m and he dropped his 400m national record to 43.87.
Victory for Gaither
Sprinter Tynia Gaither picked up a victory in the women’s 60m at the Texas A&M Aggie Twilight Meet at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas.
Competing for Elite Performance Track Club, she clocked 7.33 to take the tape. Amy Ivy, a junior at Texas A&M got second in 7.47. Gaither also had the fastest qualifying time of 7.41.
She also finished second in the 200m in 23.33. Danyel White, a junior at Texas A&M, won in 23.30.
Wilson leap over Thomas
Meanwhile, two Bahamians competed in the men’s high jump at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, Great Britain where Jamal Wilson out-dualed Donald Thomas.
Wilson posted a fourth place finish with his best leap of 2.23 metres or 7-feet, 3 3/4-inches and Thomas got sixth with 2.20m (7-2 1/2). Naoto Tobe of Japan won the event with 2.29m (7-6).
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