Abby Steiner finishes fourth in 200m at USA Track & Field Championships despite injury
Abby Steiner came up short in the 200m race at the USA Track & Field Championships on Sunday.
The Dublin Coffman graduate and world champion track star finished behind Gabby Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson and Kayla White, finishing fourth the 200m final in 22.07.
"It was great to make it to the final, and when you are in the final anything can happen," Steiner told FloSports after the race. "It's been a long season for me, just battling some injuries. Making the team was a win, but also giving myself some time for recovery was a win too. Just got to take care of my body and get ready for next year."
Steiner disclosed she's had a bone spur in her left foot that she's been battling all season. She originally planned to have surgery in September, but said she could move the surgery up.
Steiner won the 200m in the 2022 USA Track & Field Championships, finishing in 21.77 seconds.
Steiner signed with PUMA, going pro after earning four NCAA titles and becoming a 15-time All-American at Kentucky. She holds the American collegiate, Southeastern Conference and Kentucky records in the indoor 200-meters, along with holding collegiate, SEC and school records in the outdoor 200-meter dash and 300-meters.
Before Kentucky, Steiner won four straight state titles in the 200-meter dash at Coffman, along with three in the 100-meter dash in her final three years of high school.
Steiner was also a district Player of the Year in soccer, helping lead Coffman to a Division 1 state runner-up finish in 2014.
Steiner said she experienced a transition from the pro level compared to how she raced in college.
"I think just being grateful for every opportunity no matter the outcome," Steiner said. "I feel like there's so many examples of people who go pro, transition, have to have that learning curve and come back with all of that knowledge for a really great year next year. It's kind of like just starting as a freshman in college again. When you are a freshman in college, you probably have to relearn the competition, dealing with the nerves, dealing with all the attention and stuff. It's definitely as learning experience."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Abby Steiner finishes fourth in 200m at USA Track & Field Championships
