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DyeStat Discussions - EP316 - Ronnie Baker
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Nike professional athlete Ronnie Baker, who ran a wind-legal 9.94 seconds in the 100-meter dash March 27 at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays to take over the world lead and achieve the fastest performance ever in March on U.S. soil, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to examine eclipsing the meet record and running the best outdoor season opener in his career. Baker, a two-time NCAA Division 1 champion at Texas Christian in 2015 and 2016 and winner of the U.S. Indoor title in the 60-meter dash in 2017, also revisits his lone indoor competition this year Feb. 7, clocking 6.53 seconds in the 60 at the American Track League event at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. He expresses gratitude to meet organizers and agents for creating more domestic opportunities on the calendar this year, including the USATF Journey to Gold - Tokyo Series, which begins April 3 with the USATF Sprint Summit at Prairie View A&M. Baker reflects on his opportunity to compete healthy in meaningful competitions for the first time since 2018, when he achieved his wind-legal personal-best 9.87 seconds in Poland, along with his all-conditions best 9.78 at the Prefontaine Classic. He chronicles several injuries that have affected him at U.S. championship events, including 2019, when Baker raced only three times all year and still finished fifth in the 100-meter national final, despite only six weeks of practice as a result of adductor and hamstring pain. Baker, a World Indoor bronze medalist and World Relays gold medalist, offers respect for collegiate athletes already running sub-10 in the 100 and sub-20 in the 200, but emphasizes the challenges they will face during the summer in maintaining that elite level of performance at the Olympic Trials or the Olympic Games. He shares the experiences of married life during a pandemic after recently celebrating his first anniversary with wife Mikaela, along with speaking about his Baker Business Development opportunities off the track, in addition to his partnership with Performance Kitchen and his desire to create a Ronnie Baker signature meal. |