TOKYO, Japan – Running in an oversized T-shirt on Monday, “Speedy” Steven Gardiner showed why he is the world champion in the men’s 400 meters (m) and one of the event favorites at the Tokyo Olympic Games at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
Gardiner got off to a moderate start in his semifinal heat, picked up the pace on the back stretch and appeared to hit cruise control on the second curve. With about 110 to 120 meters to go, he appeared to pick up the pace and powered home, striding to a 44.14 clocking to win the heat and qualify for the final with the third-fastest time.
Former World and Olympic Champion Kirani James, of Grenada, proved that he is all the way back from Graves’ disease, winning his semifinal heat in 43.88 seconds and qualifying for the final with the fastest time.
Anthon Zambrano, of Colombia, the world silver medalist behind Gardiner in Doha, Qatar, two years ago, was the second-fastest qualifier for the final, running an area record of 43.93 seconds.
US National Champion Michael Norman was less than impressive, finishing second behind Gardiner in that third semifinal heat, in 44.52 seconds. World record holder Wayde van Niekerk, of South Africa, was also in that heat, but faded to fifth, in 45.14 seconds, and will shockingly miss the final. He’s still making his way back from a devastating knee injury he suffered in a celebrity rugby match in 2017, and hasn’t regained his world record form since. He hasn’t ran many races since, and in the few times he has stepped on the track, he has looked rather pedestrian.
Coming into the Olympics, Van Niekerk, Gardiner and Norman were the event favorites and their semifinal heat on Monday represented the first time they met on the track.
Gardiner said he’s looking forward to the final. He along with his coach, American Gary Evans, are putting together what they hope will be an effective race strategy.
Gardiner appears to be the man to beat now. The 25-year-old World Champion won comfortably in an oversized T-shirt on Monday, which is scary when one imagines what he could possibly do in the final. He spent a week training in Athens, Greece, prior to the start of the Olympics, and said he feels that it put him in a space that he needs to be in to pursue an Olympic title here in Tokyo.
“Long story,” he said about the oversized T-shirt. “I thought I packed my bag early this morning. I did pack it but I forgot my top, so I said it’s too late to punk out now. I already made it this far and there is just one more round, who cares? It’s a T-shirt, and a big T-shirt at that, tucked in my pants,” Gardiner quipped. “It was a pretty good race for me. Along with my coach, we talked about the race before I went out and we prayed about it, and he just said to do what we do in practice. I got out well, nice and smooth down the back, coming around the second bend I was right there and coming home, I just made my move. I went for it at about 110 and just went for it.”
Gardiner said he shut it down on the home stretch. To think he could do that and still run a 44.14, and in an oversized T-shirt at that, it’s likely he’ll go well under 44 seconds in the final. Gardiner easily qualified out of his opening round heat on Sunday in 45.05 seconds.
“I saw the clock, 44.1, and I’m happy with that. I saw the 43 that the other guys ran and I could have done it too, but I shut it down. I’m just saving something for the final,” he said.
The other Bahamian in the semifinals, Alonzo Russell, was simply outclassed by a tough field. He finished eighth in his semifinal heat and was 23rd overall in 46.04 seconds.
“Going into it, I felt pretty good. I tried to execute the race plan as good as I can but I think I fell short in that area,” said Russell. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to run. Considering I was one of last athletes to make it to the games, and to come here and make it to the semifinals, I feel blessed. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
At the last Olympics, in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Russell was disqualified in his opening round heat for stepping on the line on the curve. He ran a season’s best time of 45.51 seconds in his opening round heat on Sunday at these Olympics, and has a personal best time of 45.25 seconds, done in 2016.
“This is just a stepping stone for me. To come here and make it to the semis is a good feeling. I’m looking forward for what’s to come,” he said. “I felt like I was in better shape last year when COVID first came around. That’s the past so it is what it is. We’ll see what happens next year.”
The two-time Olympian said training in this COVID environment was a challenge but one that he embraced.
Russell graduated from Florida State University (FSU) in 2014 and didn’t have access to the school’s training facilities in this Olympic cycle. He said it was kind of hectic getting around and ensuring that he got the required training that he needed to prepare for the Olympics, but he just made the best out of not having the venues at his disposal and remained committed.
The 2022 World Athletics World Championships is set for July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon, USA. Russell is 29 now, and will be 32 by the time the next Olympics roll around in three year’s time in Paris, France.
As for the final of the men’s 400m, that will be held 9 p.m. Thursday night in Tokyo, 8 a.m. Thursday morning in The Bahamas. Gardiner will run out of lane seven in the final.
The post Gardiner cruises into 400m final; Russell finishes 23rd appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/gardiner-cruises-into-400m-final-russell-finishes-23rd/
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