A Texas Christian University (TCU) alumnus will head to Tokyo to represent the United States of America during the Olympic Games and has received big praise from a Texas congresswoman.
U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) publicly applauded Ronnie Baker for his performance during the June 20 Olympic Trials.
“Congratulations to TCU’s own Ronnie Baker on his 9.85-second 100-meter run Sunday, qualifying him for the Olympic Team in Tokyo,” Granger tweeted. “Good luck next month.”
The 27-year-old Baker, who originally hails from Louisville, Kentucky, placed second in the 100-meter finals at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon to represent the U.S. in Japan next month, according to WDRB. A glorious comeback for the athlete who after becoming “the world’s fastest man at 60 meters” in 2018, was set back by injuries for the last two years.
“Making my first Olympic Team was such a wild experience! PR: 9.85,” Baker posted on Instagram. “Five years of work and it all culminated in a wild, adrenaline filled and nervous 29 seconds. All I know is I’m happy because my father in heaven is proud of his son.”
Baker thanked the people who prayed for him and Darryl Anderson, his coach of nine years and head of TCU’s Track & Field Program.
“He goes unnoticed and deserves a lot more praise than what he currently receives,” Baker wrote in Instagram.
WDRB reported while Baker attended TCU, he won two 60-meter indoor NCAA championships for the Horned Frogs.
Baker was considered a raw talent when he first set foot on the track in high school as he was primarily a basketball player, according to WDRB, but it didn’t stop TCU from awarding him a track scholarship.
WDRB also reported Baker’s first bid for the Olympics in 2016 was unsuccessful, but this year made his debut at the Texas relays with a time of 9.94 seconds which was the “fastest in the world.”