# Ronnie Baker (athlete)

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 his 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 at the time made him the 6th fastest man and tied 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 | — | Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | February 18, 2018 | Altitude-assisted |
| 100 m | 9.83 | +0.9 | Tokyo, Japan | August 1, 2021 | |
| 100 m | 9.78 w | +2.4 | Eugene, Oregon, US | May 26, 2018 | Wind-assisted |
| 200 m | 20.54 | +0.5 | Szekesfehervar, Hungary, US | July 9, 2024 | |
| 200 m | 20.06 w | +4.3 | Austin, Texas, US | April 29, 2017 | Wind-assisted |
| 200 m indoor | 20.60 A | — | Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | January 30, 2016 | Altitude-assisted |
| 4×100 m relay | 38.09 | — | 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) |
| 2015 | Universiade | Gwangju, South Korea | DNF (semi 2) | 4×100 m relay | Did not finish |
| 2015 | Universiade | Gwangju, South Korea | 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 | |
| 2013 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 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 | |
| 2014 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 23rd | 100 m | 10.74 | (+0.6 m/s wind) |
| 2014 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 10th | 4×100 m relay | 39.52 | SB |
| 2015 | NCAA Division I Indoor Championships | Fayetteville, Arkansas | 1st | 60 m | 6.52 | PB |
| 2015 | NCAA Division I Indoor Championships | Fayetteville, Arkansas | 5th | 4×400 m relay | 3:07.03 | |
| 2015 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 10th | 4×400 m relay | 3:06.25 | |
| 2015 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 2nd | 4×100 m relay | 38.59 | PB |
| 2015 | 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 |
| 2016 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 9th | 100 m | 10.09 | (+1.6 m/s wind) SB |
| 2016 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon | 6th | 4×100 m relay | 38.72 | SB |
| 2016 | 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 |
| 2017 | 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 |
| 2018 | 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

100 m :
| Year | Time | Wind (m/s) | Venue | Notes |
| 2011 | 10.57 | +0.6 | Louisville, Kentucky, US | |
| 2012 | 10.59 | +1.0 | Louisville, Kentucky, US | |
| 2013 | 10.33 w | +4.3 | Fort Worth, Texas, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2013 | 10.58 | −1.4 | Waco, Texas, US | |
| 2014 | 10.21 | +0.7 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, US | |
| 2014 | 10.14 w | +2.7 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2015 | 10.05 | +1.8 | Ames, Iowa, US | |
| 2015 | 9.94 w | +2.1 | Eugene, Oregon, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2016 | 9.95 w | +2.7 | Fort Worth, Texas, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2016 | 10.09 | +1.6 | Eugene, Oregon, US | |
| 2017 | 9.98 | +0.4 | Kingston, Jamaica | |
| 2017 | 9.86 w | +2.4 | Eugene, Oregon, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2018 | 9.78 w | +2.4 | Eugene, Oregon, US | Wind-assisted |
| 2018 | 9.87 | −0.1 | Chorzów, Poland | |
| 2019 | 10.20 | −1.0 | Des Moines, Iowa, US | |
| 2020 | 10.00 | +1.1 | Fort Worth, Texas, US | |
| 2021 | 9.83 | +0.9 | Tokyo, Japan | |
60 m :
| Year | Time | Venue | Notes |
| 2013 | 6.76 | College Station, Texas, US | |
| 2014 | 6.94 | College Station, Texas, US | |
| 2015 | 6.52 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, US | |
| 2016 | 6.47 | Birmingham, Alabama, US | |
| 2017 | 6.45 A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | Altitude-assisted |
| 2018 | 6.40 A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | Altitude-assisted |
| 2020 | 6.44 | Liévin, France | |
| 2020 | 6.44 | Madrid, Spain | |
| 2021 | 6.53 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, US | |

### 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 | |