Justin Gatlin has explained whether 100m Olympic medalists Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson & Fred Kerley should be worried about Ronnie Baker following his strong start to 2025.
American sprint legend Justin Gatlin has weighed in on whether reigning 100m Olympic medalists Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson, and Fred Kerley should be concerned about Ronnie Baker after the latter’s impressive start to the 2025 season.
Baker, the 2018 World Indoor Championships bronze medallist, has long been a dominant force in the 60m event.
His personal best of 6.40, set in Albuquerque in 2018, ranks him third on the world all-time list, and he has clocked sub-6.50 times on ten other occasions.
The American sprinter also won the overall men’s World Indoor Tour 60m title in 2020 and has a 100m personal best of 9.83, achieved during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
On 4th February, Baker signalled his intent for the season by clocking a world-leading 6.50 at the Czech Indoor Gala, positioning himself as a strong contender for the 60m title at the World Indoor Championships in China next March.
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Meanwhile, both Thompson and Lyles have also launched their indoor campaigns. Thompson registered a 6.58 time at the Astana Indoor Meet, while Lyles secured victory at the New Balance Grand Prix in New York with a 6.53-second run.
Despite Baker’s strong form, Gatlin believes that it is too early to suggest that his rivals should be worried. Speaking on his Ready Set Go podcast, the 2004 Olympic champion gave a measured take on Baker’s resurgence.
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“Do I think they need to be worried right now? No,” Gatlin remarked. “Not taking anything away from Ronnie because we are talking about the 60 meters and not the 100 meters right now.
“Even if he goes out there, runs 6.40-something, and gets the gold medal around his neck, he still has to transition from being a 60m specialist to a successful 100m runner.”
Gatlin pointed out that many sprinters have excelled in the 60m but struggled to translate that success into the 100m. However, he acknowledged that Baker has already proven himself as a formidable 100m competitor.
“We have seen a lot of 60m runners who cannot transition into 100m runners, but we know that Ronnie is a successful 100m runner,” Gatlin explained.
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“Let us give him a little patience. He is building himself up from the 60 meters he has rolling right now and working towards regaining his 100m form. But with the way he is running right now, the sky is the limit for him.”
Baker’s credentials in the 100m are well established. He was a dominant force on the Diamond League circuit in 2018, winning four races and never finishing worse than second.
That year, he also finished second in the final and was ranked as the second-fastest man over 100m. His 60m dominance dates back even further—he was the fastest man in the world over the distance in 2017 and continued to be among the top competitors in 2018.
Despite missing out on the 100m lineup for the 2024 Olympics after finishing with a time of 9.98 seconds at the US Trials, Baker is eager to secure his place on the US team in 2025. His performances so far this season suggest he is on the right path.
