Olympic and world 400m champion Steven Gardiner has revealed he was battling illness during his fourth-place finish in the men’s 200m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami on Friday, where he clocked 20.37 seconds in a highly competitive field.
The 28-year-old Bahamian, best known for his dominance in the 400m, said he had been dealing with a respiratory illness that significantly affected both his breathing and training in the lead-up to the race.
“I’ve been suffering from a head coma for the past two weeks. My breathing isn’t really there. Right now, I’m a mouth breather, but I’m trying to just make it around,” Gardiner said.
“It’s been tough—just no oxygen to my head. But I just wanted to go out there and get the job done.”
The race was won by Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, who powered home to narrowly beat the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, with both sprinters recording a time of 19.86 seconds. Muzala Samukonga of Zambia came third in a personal best of 20.23 seconds.
Despite missing the podium, Gardiner took pride in finishing the race under difficult circumstances.
“This was my second 200m of the season. I’ve seen the best. I could be a bit better, but I’m thankful I finished today,” he noted.
Gardiner, who clinched gold in the 400m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2019 World Championships, remains confident he will soon return to his peak in his specialty event.
“Most likely, yeah. The 400 would be much better than my 200,” he said. “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself right now.”
The Bahamian sprinter also explained his decision to remain in the U.S. and compete locally, opting out of overseas meets.
“There’s a lot of travelling and going overseas—it’s so much for me. So, I’d rather just stay here in the U.S. and compete.”
Reflecting on his early season progress, Gardiner remains optimistic about his form ahead of the Olympic year.
“Technically, I think it was pretty good. My season opener was 20.4. I did 20.3 today. So, it’s getting much better,” he concluded.
