Steven Gardiner hits back at Pauline Davis over comments following Olympic withdrawal
Gardiner, who has been plagued by injuries over the past few years—including missing the 2022 World Championships and suffering another injury in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championships in Budapest—cited another injury as the reason for his withdrawal from the Paris Olympics.
However, Davis publicly criticized athletes, including Gardiner, for what she perceived as a lack of transparency regarding their physical conditions leading up to the Games. Her remarks did not sit well with Gardiner, who took to social media to express his frustration.
"To Pauline Davis, please don't ever speak on me ever because you've never been an influential person to many of us athletes," Gardiner began in his post, clearly stung by the criticism.
He went on to suggest that Davis's comments were not only unwarranted but also harmful. "You would love to see us suffer, and it shows," he added, directly addressing her public rebuke.
Gardiner continued, emphasizing that Davis was not present during his warm-up and therefore had no basis for her criticism. "You weren't in attendance during my warm-up, but you were the first to broadcast your loud and wrong remarks to spread lies and propaganda, which is pure evilness," he wrote.
Despite his anger, Gardiner concluded his message with a more conciliatory tone, saying, "But you'll be just alright. I'll pray for you just like others."