Ronnie Baker (athlete)

Ronnie Baker (born October 15, 1993) is an American professional track and field athlete specializing in the sprints.[4] Over 60 meters his personal best time of 6.40 seconds makes him the third-fastest man in the event in history. He was champion over 60 m at the USA Indoor Championships in 2017, a medalist over 60 m at the World Indoor Championships in 2018, and a gold medallist in the 4 × 100 m relay at the World Relays in 2017. Baker was a dominant competitor over 100 m in the Diamond League circuit in 2018, winning four races and placing no worse than second, including in the final where he also placed second. He was the fastest man in the world in 2017 over 60 m, and the second fastest in 2018 over both 60 m and 100 m. In college he competed for the TCU Horned Frogs, where he was champion over 60 m at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in both 2015 and 2016. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ronnie Baker ran the personal best of 9.83 in the men's 100m semi-finals, which made him the 6th fastest man in the history of Olympics 100m event.[5]

Ronnie Baker
Baker at the 2018 USATF Championships
Personal information
Born (1993-10-15) October 15, 1993
Louisville, Kentucky[1]
EmployerAdidas, Performance Kitchen
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2]
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Sprints
College teamTCU Horned Frogs (2013–2016)[1][3]
Coached byDarryl Anderson[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • 60 m: 6.40 A (2018)
  • 100 m: 9.83 (2021)
  • 200 m: 20.55 (2018)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place2018 Birmingham60 m
World Relays
Gold medal – first place2017 Nassau4×100 m relay
World Indoor Tour
Winner202060 m

Early life

When Baker first started with school he ran cross country. Once in middle school he switched to running the 400 meters, and stuck with that through high school, competing in both track and basketball at Ballard High School in Louisville, Kentucky.[6] Baker looked up to and was influenced by Michael Johnson, Tyson Gay, and Usain Bolt during his running career.[7]

Track career

Baker ran for the Texas Christian University (TCU) track team, switching from the 400 meters to the shorter sprint events. During his time there he was twice NCAA (United States collegiate) champion in the 60 m event in 2015 and 2016.[8][9]

In 2017, Baker became national indoor champion over 60 m.[10][11][12] A month later at the World Relays he earned his first gold medal at a global championship in the 4 × 100 m relay.[13]

In 2018, Baker won third in the World Indoor Championships.[14][15]

He set his 100 m then-personal best (9.87, wind −0.1 m/s) on August 22, 2018 at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzów.[16][17]

In his first 100 m race of 2021 at the Texas Relays on March 27, Baker won in a world leading 9.94 s and also broke the 1992 meet record of 9.97 s set by Olapade Adeniken.[18]

He qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by running, at the time, a personal best of 9.85 in the 100m, while finishing 2nd at the 2020 US Olympic Trials.[19]

Baker's Tokyo Olympic semifinal personal best time of 9.83 makes him the 6th fastest man and ties him for the 9th fastest time in Olympic 100m history; it also qualifies him as the third-fastest American in Olympic 100m history.[20]

Accolades and awards

While in high school, Baker was named in 2011 and 2012 the Gatorade state boys track and field athlete of the year.[21][22][2] He received enough powdered Gatorade that he and his mother were able to stock Ballard High with the product for a time.[6]

Personal life

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Baker attended Ballard High School. He also lived in Anchorage, Alaska for seven years in his youth.[23] Baker is a distant relative of Tyson Gay.[7] He married the former Mikaela Harrison on March 7, 2020, in Fort Worth, Texas.[6]

Statistics

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.[4]

Personal bests
EventTime (s)Wind (m/s)VenueDateNotes
60 m6.40 A—Albuquerque, New Mexico, USFebruary 18, 2018Altitude-assisted
100 m9.83+0.9Tokyo, JapanAugust 1, 2021
9.78 w+2.4Eugene, Oregon, USMay 26, 2018Wind-assisted
200 m20.55+1.6Austin, Texas, USMarch 31, 2018
20.06 w+4.3Austin, Texas, USApril 29, 2017Wind-assisted
200 m indoor20.60 A—Albuquerque, New Mexico, USJanuary 30, 2016Altitude-assisted
4×100 m relay38.09—Knoxville, Tennessee, USApril 14, 2018

International championship results
Representing the  United States
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2015UniversiadeGwangju, South Korea4th100 m10.17 (0.0 m/s wind)
DNF (semi 2)4×100 m relayDid not finish
DQ4×400 m relay3:06.56
2017World RelaysNassau, Bahamas1st4×100 m relay38.43
2018World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, England3rd60 m6.44

Circuit wins

National championship results
Representing the Louisville Track Club (2012), TCU Horned Frogs (2013–2016), and Nike (2017–2021)
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTimeNotes
2012USATF Junior ChampionshipsBloomington, Indiana15th400 m48.28[24]
2013NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon7th4×100 m relay39.87
7th4×400 m relay3:05.37
2014NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico10th4×400 m relay3:12:41
NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon23rd100 m10.74(+0.6 m/s wind)
10th4×100 m relay39.52SB
2015NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsFayetteville, Arkansas1st60 m6.52PB
5th4×400 m relay3:07.03
NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon10th4×400 m relay3:06.25
2nd4×100 m relay38.59PB
USATF ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon7th100 m10.19(0.0 m/s wind)[25]
2016NCAA Division I Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, Alabama1st60 m6.47WL, CR, PB[26][27]
NCAA Division I ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon9th100 m10.09(+1.6 m/s wind) SB
6th4×100 m relay38.72SB
US Olympic TrialsEugene, Oregon12th100 m10.10(+2.0 m/s wind)[28]
2017USATF Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico1st60 m6.45WL, PB[29][10][12]
USATF ChampionshipsSacramento, California12th100 m10.26(−1.4 m/s wind)[30]
2018USATF Indoor ChampionshipsAlbuquerque, New Mexico2nd60 m6.40PB[31][32][33]
USATF ChampionshipsDes Moines, Iowa2nd100 m9.90(+1.1 m/s wind) PB[34]
2019USATF ChampionshipsDes Moines, Iowa5th100 m10.20(−1.0 m/s wind)
2021US Olympic TrialsEugene, Oregon2nd100 m9.85(+0.8 m/s wind) PB
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.[35]

Seasonal bests

See also

References
  1. Jon Mulkeen (February 22, 2017). "After indoor success, 'newbie' Baker is no longer an unknown". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  2. Ben Rohrbach (June 20, 2012). "Kentucky Boys Track AOY: Ronnie Baker". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  3. Jonathan Grooms (February 2, 2012). "Ronnie Baker Signs with Texas Christian University". milesplit.com. MileSplit. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  4. "ATHLETE PROFILE Ronnie BAKER". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  5. "100 metres at the Olympics".
  6. Schenk, Ruth (September 30, 2021). "Running the Race: Olympian Ronnie Baker chases after God on and off the track". The Southeast Outlook. Middletown, KY: Southeast Christian Church. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  7. Mike Rowbottom (June 2, 2018). "After Back-to-Back High Profile Victories, Baker is beginning to cook up a storm". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  8. "Ronnie Baker". gofrogs.com. TCU Horned Frogs. 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  9. Samantha Calimbahin (March 14, 2016). "Ronnie Baker runs world's fastest 60-meter time, becomes NCAA champion". frogsowar.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  10. Jon Hendershott (March 6, 2017). "Baker speeds to world-leading 6.45 to win US indoor 60m title". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  11. "Baker Wins National 60M Title At 6.45". gofrogs.com. TCU Horned Frogs. March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  12. Gene Cherry; Andrew Both (March 5, 2017). "Harrison and Baker speed to yearly bests in U.S. champs". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  13. "No Jamaica and no Canada leads to easy U.S. victory; The Bahamas third in 'B' final". thenassauguardian.com. The Nassau Guardian. April 24, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  14. Andy Bull (March 3, 2018). "Christian Coleman stakes claim as new sprint king with world indoors 60m gold". The Guardian. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  15. Simon Turnbull (March 3, 2018). "Report: men's 60m final - IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  16. "Ronnie Baker: American sprinter sets fastest 100m time of season". bbc.com. BBC. August 22, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  17. Bob Ramsak; Alfons Juck (August 22, 2018). "Baker clocks 9.87 world lead in Chorzow". iaaf.org. IAAF. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  18. Steve Campbell (March 27, 2021). "Ronnie Baker Runs World-Leading 9.94 At Texas Relays". World-Track. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  19. "Louisville native Ronnie Baker qualifies for Tokyo Olympics in 100 meters".
  20. "100 metres at the Olympics".
  21. Jonathan Grooms (June 27, 2011). "Baker and Brink Named Gatorade Athletes of the Year". milesplit.com. MileSplit. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  22. Jonathan Grooms (June 21, 2012). "Baker & Adair Named Gatorade Athletes of the Year". milesplit.com. MileSplit. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  23. "Ronnie Baker's Top Tips". iaaf.org. SPIKES. June 8, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  24. "2012 USA Junior Championships - 6/15/2012 to 6/17/2012 - Bloomington, Indiana - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  25. "2015 USATF Outdoor Championships - Results - FULL". usatf.org. USATF. June 28, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  26. Lincoln Shryack (March 12, 2016). "TCU's Baker Shatters NCAA Champs 60m Record With 6.47". flotrack.org. FloTrack. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  27. "TCU's Baker breaks NCAA 60-meter record; TCU basketball coach, players stay committed". star-telegram.com. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  28. "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field - Results". usatf.org. USATF. July 10, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  29. "2017 USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships - Results". usatf.org. USATF. March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  30. "2017 USATF Championships - 6/22/2017 to 6/25/2017 - Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, Calif. - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 25, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  31. "2018 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships - 2/16/2018 to 2/18/2018 - Albuquerque Convention Center - Results". usatf.org. USATF. February 19, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  32. "Christian Coleman breaks world indoor record in 60 meters". espn.com. ESPN. Associated Press. February 18, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  33. Jonathan Gault (February 18, 2018). "Christian Coleman Breaks 60m World Record For Real This Time With 6.34 at 2018 USATF Indoors". letsrun.com. LetsRun.com. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  34. "2018 USATF Outdoor Championships - Results". usatf.org. USATF. June 24, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  35. "RONNIE BAKER TCU". tfrrs.org. Track & Field Results Reporting System. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
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