English Gardner ran her fastest time in more than a year and advanced to the semifinals of the 100-meter dash Friday at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene on the campus of her alma mater, the University of Oregon.
Gardner, a 2010 Eastern graduate, ran 11.17 with a legal 0.4 meters-per-second wind and placed 6th in the first of three heats. The top six in each race plus the next three-fastest times advanced to the semis on Saturday evening.
Gardner’s 0.172 seconds reaction time to the gun was 3rd-fastest in the entire field.
Gardner’s previous best this year was a 11.22 at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix at UCLA’s Drake Stadium on May 18. Her 11.17 is her fastest since she ran 11.12 in the qualifying round of last year’s USATF National Championships, also at Hayward Field. It’s her fastest wind-legal 100 since May 21, 2023, when she ran 11.13 at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix at Flora Duffy Stadium in Devonshire, Bermuda.
Gardner ran her lifetime-best 10.74 when she won the 2016 Olympic Trials at Hayward.
The 32-year-old Gardner won an Olympic gold medal on the U.S. 400-meter relay team in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and a silver medal on the 400-meter relay team in 2021 in Tokyo. She was a finalist in the 100 at the 2016 Olympics and placed 7th in 10.94.
The 100 semifinals are scheduled 8:58 p.m. EST Saturday. The top two finishers in each of three semifinal races as well as the next three-fastest advance to the final at 10:50 p.m. Saturday.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 