Abby Steiner has decided to chase a new pursuit for a while.
Rather than focusing on a return to track, the Dublin Coffman and University of Kentucky star sprinter has enrolled in the University of South Carolina’s exercise science program with the intent to earn a master’s degree.
Steiner, 25, posted the news via Instagram on Aug. 20, saying she had undergone a third surgery on her left foot and wanted to let her body heal while working toward a new degree.
“Taking a step back from running for the time being to give myself the time I need to get healthy while pursuing some other passions of mine,” Steiner wrote. “Very excited for this Gamecocks chapter!!”
Steiner, who competes for PUMA athletics, won a world championship with the U.S. 4×100-meter relay team in the 2022 World Athletics Championships after finishing fifth in the women’s 200 meters that year. Injuries to her feet began setting her career back in 2023, including a procedure to remove a bone spur in her left heel that was pressing against her Achilles.
She also underwent Haglund’s Deformity surgeries to remove enlarged bumps on the backs of both heel bones before needing a second bone spur surgery on the left heel in 2024.
Working through pain and a shortened training timeline, Steiner finished sixth in the 200-meter at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. She clocked a time of 22.24 seconds, 0.33 seconds off the third-place finisher, and only three spots were available.
During her collegiate career at Kentucky, Steiner earned four NCAA titles and was a 15-time All-American. She also holds the American collegiate record for the indoor 200-meter dash, as well as the outdoor 200 and 300. At Coffman, Steiner won four straight state titles in the 200-meter dash, along with three state titles in the 100-meter dash.
She also starred in soccer for Coffman and continued to play that sport at Kentucky.
Steiner’s Instagram post didn’t specify what type of surgery she had in 2025 on her left foot, but it was the third time in a two-year span that she needed a corrective procedure. In deciding to pursue her master’s degree at South Carolina, Steiner first passed the National Strength and Conditioning Association exam to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
She was then accepted into the school’s master’s program.
As for her future track endeavors, Steiner’s use of “for the time being,” in her Instagram post appears to leave room for a possible return to competitive running at some point.
Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Abby Steiner pauses track career to heal from surgeries, pursue master’s degree
Reporting by Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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