The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Men’s 400 metre world champion Steven Gardiner had to grit it out from behind for a great win yesterday against a noteworthy field of competitors as he prepares for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Meanwhile, Bahamas 200/400 metre national champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo tested her strength as her focus in the 200m at the Olympics intensifies, finishing second in the women’s half-lap race.

Coming off her two victories at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium last weekend, the reigning 2016 Olympic 400m champion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ran 22.15.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson took the tape in 21.96 with Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers trailing in third in 22.70. Gardiner, coming off another title at the Nationals as well, had his first major showdown at the 11th Gyulai Istvan Memorial Invitational in Hungary, which was a part of World Athletics’ 2021 Continental Tour.

Competing out of lane six, Gardiner clocked a season’s best of 44.47 seconds to pull off the victory on the home stretch over three Americans as Bryce Deadmon, in seven, got second in 44.58 with Michael Norman, in five, third in 44.65 and Michael Cherry, in three, fourth in 44.69.South Africa’s world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who is making a comeback after his fantastic time of 43.03 to win the Rio Olympics, was entered in lane four, but he didn’t compete.Gardiner, by the way, is the meet record holder, having posted a time of 44.30 on July 7, 2015.

In yesterday’s race, Gardiner came off the curve trailing Deadmon.

The two went stride for stride on the home stretch before Gardiner was able to surge from behind in the winding metres to secure the win.

Also at the meet was Olympic bound Donald Thomas, the 2007 World champion.

The Bahamas national champion, who earned a berth in the field of 32 in Tokyo, got seventh in the men’s high jump with a leap of 7-feet, 5 1/4-inches or 2.27m.

Maksim Nedasekau won the event with 7-9 1/4 (2.37m), matching the previous world-leading mark by Ilya Ivanyuk, one of the Authorised Neutral Athletes from Russia. Ivanyuk also competed in the meet, coming in second with 7-7 3/4 (2.33m).