 Gardiner at the2019 World Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Bahamian |
| Born | (1995-09-12)12 September 1995 (age 29)[1] Central Abaco,Abaco Islands, Bahamas |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[2] |
| Weight | 94 kg (207 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country | Bahamas |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | Sprints |
| Coached by | Gary Evans |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | 1 (weeks 36) |
| Personalbests | |
Medal record | |
Steven Gardiner (born 12 September 1995) is a Bahamiantrack and fieldsprinter competing in the400 metres and200 metres. He is the 2020Olympic and 2019world champion in the 400 m, and also won the silver medal at the2017 World Championships in that event.[3] His winning time of 43.48 s from the 2019 World Championships is theBahamian record and makes him the eighth‑fastest man in the history of the event.[4] Gardiner also owns the Bahamian records in the outdoor300 m and 200 m, with times of 31.83 s and 19.75 s respectively, and the world best in the indoor300 m at 31.56 s.
Gardiner was born in Murphy Town,Central Abaco, in the Bahamas.[5] During his teenage years Gardiner was a competitivevolleyball player, but also ran track and field. Gardiner wanted to transition to track and field in the shorter sprints, but his high school coach said he was too tall, so he became a 400 m runner.[6] He went to Moores Island All-Age School, where he was a part of the Exterminators Track and Field Club, Coached by Pastor Anthony Williams.Moore's Island is a small island off the coast of mainlandAbaco Islands.[7][8]
Gardiner competed in the sport in his teenage years and ran in the 400 m at the national championships in 2013. He entered three events at the2014 CARIFTA Games: he only managed fourth in the individual 200 m but claimed a silver in the4 × 100 m relay and a bronze in the4 × 400 m relay.[9] He marked himself as one of the Bahamas' top young athletes with a win at the Bahamian junior championships in June of that year.[10] An appearance at the2014 World Junior Championships in Athletics resulted in a semi-final run in the 200 m and a sixth-place finish in the 4 × 400 m.[11]
His first senior medal came at the2015 IAAF World Relays, held on home turf, where he gave American competitorJeremy Wariner a close run in the4 × 400 m relay, helping the Bahamas to the silver medal alongsideRamon Miller,Michael Mathieu andChris Brown.[12] He began to focus on the 400 m in the 2015 season, which proved a successful transition. He rapidly improved to become the youngest Bahamian ever, at 19 years old, to run the distance in under 45 seconds and moved up to fourth on the Bahamian all-time list with a best of 44.64 seconds. He set the time at theBislett Games, which brought him victory on his debut on theIAAF Diamond League circuit, finishing ahead ofMatthew Hudson-Smith andPavel Maslák.[13][14]
In 2019, he won the 400 m at the2019 World Athletics Championships, finishing ahead of American favoriteFred Kerley in a national record of 43.48 s, which also made him the sixth fastest man in history after the race.[3]
He won the400m at the2020 Olympic Games in a time of 43.85. This was the joint fastest time in the world for the 2021 season.[15]
In January 2022, he ran the fastest indoor300m of all time with a time of 31.56.[16] He was unable to defend his World Championship 400m title due to injury.
All information fromWorld Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[17]
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m | 19.75 | Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. | 7 April 2018 | (+0.3 m/s wind)NR |
| 300 m | 31.56 | Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | 28 January 2022 | WR |
| 400 m | 43.48 | Doha, Qatar | 4 October 2019 | NR |
| 4×400 m relay | 2:57.72 | Gainesville, Florida, U.S. | 16 April 2022 |
The two highlighted times are track records. Gardiner also holds the track record forSzékesfehérvár inHungary where he ran 43.74 seconds in July 2023.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the Bahamas | |||||
| 2014 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Fort-de-France, Martinique | 4th | 200 m | 20.87(+1.3 m/s wind) |
| 2nd | 4×100 m relay | 40.35 | |||
| 3rd | 4×400 m relay | 3:11.32 | |||
| World Junior Championships | Eugene, United States | 12th (sf) | 200 m | 20.89(+1.8 m/s wind) | |
| 6th | 4×400 m relay | 3:08.08 | |||
| 2015 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4×400 m relay | 2:58.91 |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 16th (sf) | 400 m | 44.98 | |
| DQ | 4×400 m relay | Lane violation[18] | |||
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 11th (sf) | 400 m | 44.72 |
| 3rd | 4×400 m relay | 2:58.49 | |||
| 2017 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 9th (sf) | 4×400 m relay | 3:05.37 |
| 1st | 4×400 m relay mixed | 3:14.42 | |||
| World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | 400 m | 44.41 | |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 400 m | 43.48NR |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 400 m | 43.85 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 3rd (h) | 400 m | 44.651 |
1Did not finish in the semifinals
As of 10 September 2024, Gardiner holds the following track records for 200 metres and 400 metres.
| Location | Time | Windspeed m/s | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coral Gables, FL | 19.75 NR | + 0.3 | 07/04/2018 |
| Location | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge,LA. | 44.45 | 20/04/2024 |
| Devonshire Parish, Bermuda | 44.42 | 21/05/2023 |
| Doha | 43.48 NR | 04/10/2019 |
| Nassau | 44.27 | 27/06/2015 |
| Paris | 44.21 | 18/06/2022 |
| Shanghai | 43.99 | 12/05/2018 |
| St. George's, Bermuda | 44.26 | 08/04/2017 |
| Székesfehérvár | 43.74 | 18/07/2023 |
| Tokyo | 43.85 | 05/08/2021 |
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Flag bearer for Bahamas Paris 2024 with Devynne Charlton | Succeeded by Incumbent |
|
