Reigning champion Steven Gardiner withdraws from 400m at Paris Olympics

The Bahamian was one of the main contenders at Paris 2024 after victory in Tokyo

(AFP via Getty Images)

Reigning Olympic champion Steven Gardiner has withdrawn from the men’s 400m.

The Bahamian sprinter’s lane three was left vacant in heat four of round one, leaving a sense of shock at the Stade de France.

The 28-year-old has been struggling with injuries recently but remained a strong contender at Paris 2024. He won gold in Tokyo, running 43.85secs to beat out Anthony Zambrano and Kirani James.

Gardiner pulled up injured in his World Championship 400m semi-final in Budapest last year.

“It was pretty bad,” Gardiner reflected about the injury, diagnosed as a two-millimetre tear in his right tendon. “It’s a good thing that I didn’t keep on going because I could have torn it right off the bone. So I’m happy to get through it and can compete again.”

Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith began his bid for gold with a smooth run to qualify for the semi-finals.

More to come...