The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RIO de Janeiro, Brazil — When the athletic competition gets underway today at the National Olympic Stadium, national 400 metre record holder Steven Gardiner will be one of the competitors in action for Team Bahamas.

Gardiner, 20, will be making his Olympic debut when he competes in the last of seven heats of the men’s 400 metres around 8:53pm EST. He will follow Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell, who will be the first out of the blocks in lane four of heat three and veteran Chris “Fireman” Brown, who will contest lane one as well in heat four.

The first three and the next three fastest finishers will advance to the semi-final on Saturday. The final will be staged on Sunday.

For Gardiner, his preparation has been right on target and he said he is eager to start competing today, even if it’s lane one. “It’s not going to be difficult because we train in all lanes, so I just have to go out there and execute a good race,” said Gardiner, who is being coached by George Cleare, the head coach for Team Bahamas in Rio.

Cleare has already gone on record saying that he anticipates that Gardiner will have a great performance here. Gardiner couldn’t agree more. “You can expect to run a pretty decent race to get into the semi-final and just take it from there,” he said.

While he has been getting used to being an Olympian, Gardiner said he has enjoyed the Rio experience thoroughly. “I really like it,” he stated.

So far, Gardiner has fitted right into the atmosphere being around a lot of people who are even taller than his six-foot, two-inch frame and in some cases making him look like a dwarf.

“I see almost everyone on the circuit, so it’s good just to be here,” he said.

And around the members of Team Bahamas, Gardiner said he feels right at home.

“I like my Bahamian people,” he said. “Everything’s great.”

If there’s one thing Gardiner will have to look out for, it’s going to be the competition. Even though he has the fastest season’s best time of 44.46, compared to all of his rivals in his heat, he has been placed in lane one. The next fastest person this year is Ali Khamis with his best of 44.55 in lane seven. But Gardiner said he’s not going to let that get to him.

“I feel really good because a few years ago I was doing nothing and now I’m here at the Olympic Games,” he said. “So I’m very happy about it.”

By the end of the 400m, Gardiner said his goal is to be one of the three men standing on the dais receiving a medal. However, he said it would be a wonderful feeling if all three Bahamians can secure a lane for the final.

Gardiner, the national record holder at 44.27, said he knows that the competition will be stiff with the three medallists from last year´s IAAF World Championships - Wayde van Niekerk from the Republic of South Africa, American LaShawn Merritt.

Merritt has already said that he’s going after Michael Johnson’s 43.18 world record.

And with the reigning Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada included in the line-up here, Gardiner said he’s not intimidated.

“Everyone here is great, great competition, but you might never know,” he said. “Based on last year, this is a new year, everybody has changed, so don’t expect the unexpected.”

And if that’s any consolation, he said don’t be surprised if his dream of being an Olympic medallist comes true.