Bahamian 400m superstar Steven Gardiner ran a season’s best to win the 300m at the Radd Collegiate Last Chance meet in Gainesville on Thursday.
The 27-year-old ran 32.58, the fifth fastest time in the world this year, to win the event ahead of Jamaica’s Mario Heslop (33.67) and Fabian Hewitt (34.42). Gardiner holds the World Record for the event with a 31.56 clocking in January 2022.
Gardiner, who finished top of the podium at the 2019 World Championships and 2021 Olympics, opened his season with a 33.03 effort to win his section of the 300m at the South Carolina Invitational on February 3.
The 2017 World Championship silver medallist is working his way back from a heel injury that forced him out of action for seven months, meaning he was unable to defend his World title in Eugene in July.
His last race before the layoff was on the 24th of June at the Bahamas Championships in Nassau where he won in 45.22.
Elsewhere, Guyanese Olympian Aliyah Abrams won the women’s 400m in 52.09 ahead of Jessica Gbai (53.64) and Alexis Williams (55.39).