By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With all of the pomp and pageantry, Bahamian ‘speedy’ quarter-miler Steven Gardiner returned home yesterday to celebrate his gold medal performance at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Arriving a little later, Shaunae Miller-Uibo also touched down at the Lynden Pindling International Airport, but she didn’t receive all of the flair as Gardiner for her achievement as the repeat gold medallist in the women’s 400m.

But as the celebrations continued around town, Miller-Uibo and Gardiner joined each other as they paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

On his arrival, flanked by three of his team-mates - swimmer Izaak Bastian, sprinter Samson Colebrooke and female quarter-miler Megan Moss - Gardiner was greeted in a water fanfare as his Bahamasair flight touched down to a ceremony outside of the airport.

“It feels good to be back home,” Gardiner said. “Everyone in the country was depending on us to do what we had to do, so I’m just happy that we were able to do it together.”

Sharing the moment with his parents, grandmother and other family members, Gardiner got a surprise from Olympian Iram Lewis, who unveiled a portrait with his accomplishments that will be placed on the Wall of Fame with the other prominent Bahamian athletes inside the terminal. The Ministry of Tourism, led by deputy director Tommy Thompson and Olympian Eldece Clarke, also presented portraits that were done by Bahamian celebrity artist Jamaal Rolle. When she arrived at a much smaller setting, Miller-Uibo thanked the Bahamians for “all of your support throughout the years,” she said. “I knew this one was going to be special and so I just want to thank you guys for all of the support.

“I hope that we can celebrate this one together. But I just give God all thanks and praise for always allowing me to go out there and always perform my best and just represent myself, represent my family and represent my country. I just want to say thank you guys for everything. It means so much to me.”

She came off the plane with her husband Maicel Uibo and was joined with her parents Maybeline and Shaun Miller Sr on the tarmac by director of sports Timothy Munnings and Bahamas Olympic Committee general secretary Derron Donaldson and other government officials.

Having to deal with so many injuries going into the Olympiad, Miller-Uibo said the whole idea for her in Tokyo was just to go out and perform to the best of her ability. “To be able to pull it off with a PR (personal best) is just a blessing,” said Miller-Uibo, of her North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACVAC) area and Bahamas national record of 48.36 seconds.

As for being the latest athletes to be placed on the wall of Fame inside the airport, Miller-Uibo said she’s just delighted to be able to do it with Gardiner at the same time.

And although there were so many protocols that they had to encounter because of the coronavirus pandemic, which at one point threatened the cancelation of the games, Miller-Uibo said it was quite different going into the Tokyo National Stadium and competing without the crowd, which she liked to rely on.

“This one was a lot more special to me because of all of the injuries that we had to go through and how hard we had to fight to get it,” she stressed.

Still going through the agony and pain, having to compete not at full strength, Miller-Uibo said she has shut down her season and is now dealing with her rehab to prepare for 2021.

Also sharing in the ceremony for the athletes were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Darren Henfield; BOC president Romell Knowles, chef de mission Cora Hepburn; Mike Sands, president of NACAC, who participated in the medal presentation for Gardiner in Tokyo and Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations

Tonique Williams, who also was in attendance, the first Bahamian to win both the Olympic Games (2004) and World Championship (2005) 400m titles. Gardiner, adding to his world title he won in 2019, said he was delighted to share his latest achievement with the Bahamian public.

“It was unbelievable for me,” said Gardiner in reflecting on his performance in Tokyo. “I stumbled out of the blocks, but I didn’t panic. I just kept going because I knew I could run with these guys. It was just unbelievable. I recovered from it.

“I set it up coming home and in the final 50m, I looked up at the big screen and I saw I was out there and so I kept it going and going. As I crossed the line, I was in tears, but I just kept my emotions back.”

Gardiner said it was much different from the other meets he’s been in with all of the protocols in place. He noted that on the day he ran without his proper Bahamas uniform top, it was because Miller-uibo came to his room to talk and he accidentally left it on the bed and didn’t realize what had happened until it was race time.

When asked about the t-shirt scenario, Miller-Uibo refuted any allegations that it was her fault, claiming that it was “all on Stevie.”

Gardiner, the Murphy Town, Abaco native, who started running track at the age of 16, said it meant so much to get his first Olympic gold because of what he went through with ankle and knee injuries. With all of the treatments he received, he said it all paid off in the long run with the gold medal.

“It feels so good to have the Bahamas dominate the men and the women’s 400m on the world stage. Nobody can take that away from us,” he said. “We wanted to do it in 2019 at the World Championships, but unfortunately, Shaunae didn’t come through for that. But she redeemed herself and defended her Olympic title in 2021.”

Although he’s home for a brief celebration, Gardiner said his season is not complete as yet. He’s preparing to head to Europe to compete in the men’s 200m at the Wanda Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 26.

“Next year, I just want to do it all over and get ready to win another gold medal for the country,” Gardiner summed up.

The other members of Team Bahamas present were inspired by the reception for Gardiner.

“It’s really nice to come home and to see that people still care about sports,” said Izaak, who competed in swimming with veteran Joanna Evans. “I just wanted to be here to support Steven. I wished Shaunae was here to celebrate.

“But it’s good to be here and to see the gold medal in person and how much it means to the country.”

Having fallen short of advancing to the final in both of his events in the men’s 100 and 200m breaststroke, Bastian said he’s even more inspired to continue his career.

“It just makes you a little hungrier to get better. Seeing this reception just makes me want to be better next time.”

The 20-year-old Florida State junior said his focus is now on the FINA World Aquatics Championships, scheduled for May 13-29, 2022 in Fukuoka, Japan and the Commonwealth Games, set for Birmingham, England from July 27 to August 7.

Colebrooke, a 24-year-old graduate of Purdue University, was the lone male representing the Bahamas in the sprints. He didn’t advance to the semifinals of the 100m, but was quite impressed with what Miller-Uibo and Gardiner achieved.

“It feels good,” said Colebrooke about the celebrations. “As a first time Olympian and seeing the country come out like this and to celebrate with us, it was a great joy.

“It’s a great feeling and I’m now looking forward to further games and future Olympic teams and bringing some more gold medals home for the Bahamas.”

Although he has the option of going back to Purdue to compete in his senior season, which was taken away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Colebrooke said he’s just eager to get back into training and preparing for next year.

“I have some big meets to prepare for next year,” he said. So I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking at trying to bring some gold home for the Bahamas in the sprints.”

Although he has his sights set on World Athletics’ 2022 World Championships,, scheduled for July 15-24 at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon and the Commonwealth Games.

For Moss, the 20-year-old junior at the University of Kentucky, it was an honor to be a part of the celebrations, even though she only got to compete in the women’s 4 x 400m relay team that didn’t finish the race.

“I’m definitely so, so motivated,” she stressed. “It definitely pushes you to do so much better to get to the point where Stevie and Shaunae is and to be able to have the whole country so proud of you is definitely a place where any athlete wants to be. It definitely makes me motivated to work so hard.”

Looking back at what transpired in the relay, receiving the baton from Doneisha Anderson and passing it on to Brianne Bethel before she presented it to Anthonique Strachan, who stopped coming off the first curve, Moss said it was a major disappointment.

“This was my first Olympics and it was a great experience,” she said. “But no matter what, I’m proud of my team and the girls. Everyone did what they had to do. But everything happens for a reason. We just have to work hard to get back there and be on the medal podium.”

Moss, however, said she was even more disappointed that Lacarthea Cooper was unable to make the trip after she tested positive for Covid-19. Moss said initially, her test came back positive as well, but when she retook it, it was negative, while Cooper remained positive.

“Mentally and emotionally, it was a drain, so I could only imagine how she felt,” Moss said. “But it was still an accomplishment for her to make the trip at such a young age at 17. So I know she will be back.”

The 19-year-old Moss said her aim is to get ready for her return to Kentucky to start preparing for the NCAA indoor and outdoor season in 2022 before she looks at presenting the Bahamas at her next international event.