The amazing English Gardner, who turned 33 in April, ran her fastest 100-meter dash in seven years Saturday in Florida.
Gardner, the Olympic gold medalist sprinter from Eastern, ran 11.04 at the Star Athletics Sprint Series at Horizon High School with a legal tailwind of 1.2 meters per second.
That’s her fastest time since she ran 11.02 on Aug. 23, 2018, at the Palio Città della Quercia in Roverto, Italy.
Her time is No. 35 in the world this year and No. 20 among U.S. women.
More importantly, it’s below the A standard for the U.S. National Championships on her home track in Eugene, Ore. The A standard is 11.07 and everyone who runs that by July 20 is guaranteed entry into the meet in late July and early August.
Gardner is within 5-100ths of a second of her first sub-11 since Aug. 13, 2016 – nearly nine years ago – when she ran 10.94 and placed 7th in the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro.
She ran her PR of 10.74 in July 2016 when she won the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene. That’s still No. 12 in world history and No. 6 in U.S. history.
Gardner actually ran a wind-aided 10.98 Saturday in the 100 trials. That race had a 3.4 tailwind but was her fastest time in any conditions since a 10.96 with a 2.5 tailwind in the semifinals of the 2021 Olympic Trials, also at Hayward Field.
Gardner’s 11.04 is her 13th-fastest wind-legal time ever in a final and her 11th-fastest legal time ever in a non-championship race [which would include conference, NCAA, nationals, Worlds or Olympics].
Her previous-fastest time this year was an 11.18 with a legal 2.0 two weeks ago at the Music City Track Carnival at Ray Conn Sports Complex in Cleveland, Tenn.
This is the 21st consecutive year Gardner has run sub-12. Here’s a look at her fastest legal times by year going back to 7th grade:
2005: 11.99
2006: 11.95
2007: 11.95
2008: 11.61
2009: 11.82
2010: 11.56
2011: 11.03
2012: 11.10
2013: 10.85
2014: 11.01
2015: 10.79
2016: 10.74
2017: 11.04
2018: 11.02
2019: 11.16
2020: 11.63
2021: 11.09
2022: 11.08
2023: 11.13
2024: 11.17
2025: 11.04
English Gardner’s Fastest Wind-Legal Times
*10.74 … July 3, 2016, USATF, Eugene [+1.0]
10.79 … June 26, 2015, USATF, Eugene [+1.5]
*10.81 … May 28, 2016, Prefontaine, Eugene [+1.5]
10.84 … May 30, 2015, Prefontaine, Eugene [+1.5]
*10.85 … June 21, 2013, USATF, Des Moines, Iowa [+1.8]
10.86 … June 26, 2015, USATF, Eugene [+1.2]
10.87 … June 21, 2013, USATF, Des Moines, Iowa [+1.7]
10.90 … July 2, 2016, USATF, Eugene [+1.8]
10.90 … Aug. 13, 2016, Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10.92 … June 2, 2016, Roma Golden Gala, Rome [+0.8]
10.94 … Aug. 11, 2013, Worlds, Moscow [-0.5]
*10.94 … Aug. 13, 2016, Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [+0.5]
*10.96 … June 7, 2013, NCAAs, Eugene [+0.9]
*10.97 … Aug. 12, 2013, Worlds, Moscow [-0.3]
*10.97 … July 4, 2015, Paris Meeting AREVA, Paris-St. Denis, France [+0.2]
*11.00 … April 20, 2013, Mt. SAC, Walnut, Calif. [+1.8]
11.00 … Aug. 12, 2013, Worlds, Moscow [-0.4]
*11.00 … June 13, 2015, adidas Grand Prix, New York [+0.4]
11.01 … June 27, 2014, USATF, Sacramento [+2.0]
11.02 … July 11, 2015, Madrid Meeting, Madrid, Spain [+1.7]
*11.02 … June 5, 2016, British Grand Prix, Birmingtham [-1.2]
11.02 .. June 5, 2016, British Grand Prix, Birmingham [+0.8]
*11.02 … Aug. 23, 2018, Rovereto Palio Città della Quercia, Rovereto, Italy [+0.9]
*11.03 … May 14, 2011, Pac 10 Tucson, Ariz. [+0.6]
11.04 … May 14, 2016, Baie Mahault Meeting International, Baie Mahault, France [-0.3]
11.04 … June 22, 2017, USATF, Sacramento [-0.2]
*11.04 … June 13, 2025, Star Athletics Sprint Series, Winter Garden, Fla. [+1.2]
*11.08 … July 27, 2013, Sainsbury Games, London [+1.1]
*11.08 … Sept. 6, 2022, Pápa, Hungary [+1.3]
11.09 … Aug. 12, 2016, Olympics, Rio de Janeiro [-0.2]
11.09 … Aug. 24, 2021, Hungarian Grand Prix Series, Budapest, Hungary [+0.9]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 