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Ronnie Baker (athlete) facts for kids

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Ronnie Baker
USATF day 2 2018 (42963239101) (cropped).jpg
Baker at the 2018 USATF Championships
Personal information
Born (1993-10-15) October 15, 1993 (age 31)
Louisville, Kentucky
Employer Adidas, Performance Kitchen
Height 5 ft 10 in
Sport
Country United States
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Sprints
College team TCU Horned Frogs (2013–2016)
Coached by Darryl Anderson
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 2018 Birmingham 60 m
World Relays
Gold 2017 Nassau 4×100 m relay
World Indoor Tour
Winner 2020 60 m

Ronnie Baker (born October 15, 1993) is an American professional track and field athlete specializing in the sprints. 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.

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. Baker looked up to and was influenced by Michael Johnson, Tyson Gay, and Usain Bolt during his running career.

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.

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

In 2018, Baker won third in the World Indoor Championships.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. He received enough powdered Gatorade that he and his mother were able to stock Ballard High with the product for a time.

Personal life

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

Statistics

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Personal bests

Event Time (s) Wind (m/s) Venue Date Notes
60 m 6.40 A N/A Albuquerque, New Mexico, US February 18, 2018 Altitude-assisted
100 m 9.83 +0.9 Tokyo, Japan August 1, 2021
9.78 w +2.4 Eugene, Oregon, US May 26, 2018 Wind-assisted
200 m 20.55 +1.6 Austin, Texas, US March 31, 2018
20.06 w +4.3 Austin, Texas, US April 29, 2017 Wind-assisted
200 m indoor 20.60 A N/A Albuquerque, New Mexico, US January 30, 2016 Altitude-assisted
4×100 m relay 38.09 N/A Knoxville, Tennessee, US April 14, 2018

International championship results

Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2015 Universiade Gwangju, South Korea 4th 100 m 10.17 (0.0 m/s wind)
DNF (semi 2) 4×100 m relay Did not finish
DQ 4×400 m relay 3:06.56
2017 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4×100 m relay 38.43
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, England 3rd 60 m 6.44

Circuit wins

  • Diamond League (100 m)
    • Eugene: 2017, 2018
    • Rome: 2018
    • Paris: 2018
    • London: 2018
    • Stockholm: 2021
    • Monaco: 2021
  • World Athletics Indoor Tour (60 m)
    • Overall winner: 2020
    • Toruń: 2017
    • Birmingham: 2017
    • Glasgow: 2020
    • Liévin: 2020
    • Madrid: 2020

National championship results

Representing the Louisville Track Club (2012), TCU Horned Frogs (2013–2016), and Nike (2017–2021)
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
2012 USATF Junior Championships Bloomington, Indiana 15th 400 m 48.28
2013 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th 4×100 m relay 39.87
7th 4×400 m relay 3:05.37
2014 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 10th 4×400 m relay 3:12:41
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 23rd 100 m 10.74 (+0.6 m/s wind)
10th 4×100 m relay 39.52 SB
2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Fayetteville, Arkansas 1st 60 m 6.52 PB
5th 4×400 m relay 3:07.03
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 10th 4×400 m relay 3:06.25
2nd 4×100 m relay 38.59 PB
USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th 100 m 10.19 (0.0 m/s wind)
2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships Birmingham, Alabama 1st 60 m 6.47 WL, CR, PB
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 9th 100 m 10.09 (+1.6 m/s wind) SB
6th 4×100 m relay 38.72 SB
US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 12th 100 m 10.10 (+2.0 m/s wind)
2017 USATF Indoor Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 1st 60 m 6.45 WL, PB
USATF Championships Sacramento, California 12th 100 m 10.26 (−1.4 m/s wind)
2018 USATF Indoor Championships Albuquerque, New Mexico 2nd 60 m 6.40 PB
USATF Championships Des Moines, Iowa 2nd 100 m 9.90 (+1.1 m/s wind) PB
2019 USATF Championships Des Moines, Iowa 5th 100 m 10.20 (−1.0 m/s wind)
2021 US Olympic Trials Eugene, Oregon 2nd 100 m 9.85 (+0.8 m/s wind) PB
  • NCAA results from Track & Field Results Reporting System.

Seasonal bests

Track records

As of 9 September 2024, Baker holds the following track records for 100 metres.

Location Time Windspeed
m/s
Date Notes
Chorzów 9.87 – 0.1 22/08/2018 Track record shared with
Fred Kerley (USA) from 25/08/2024.
Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris 9.88 + 0.8 30/06/2018
Torrance 9.97 + 0.5 21/04/2018

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ronnie Baker para niños

  • 2018 in 100 metres
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