Joan Baptiste facts for kids
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| Nationality | British (English) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 October 1959 St. Vincent |
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| Height | 170 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Sprints | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club (WBAC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Joan Jeanetta Baptiste (born 12 October 1959) is a former British sprinter. She was a fantastic athlete who ran very fast in races like the 100 metres, 200 metres, and the 4 x 100 metres relay. Joan won a silver medal at the very first World Championships in 1983. She also competed in the 200 metres race at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Contents
Joan's Amazing Athletics Career
Early Life and First Wins
Joan Baptiste was born in St. Vincent. She was a member of the Wolverhampton & Bilston Athletics Club in the UK. In 1983, Joan started to become well-known in the athletics world. She won the AAAs indoor 200 metres title. This was a big achievement!
Soon after, she set a new UK indoor record. She ran the 200 metres in 23.37 seconds. This amazing speed helped her win a silver medal at the European Indoor Championships in Budapest. The famous runner Marita Koch won the gold medal in that race.
World Championships Success
Later in 1983, Joan competed at the World Championships in Helsinki. This was a huge event for athletes from all over the world. Joan won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay race. In a relay, four runners each run a part of the race. Joan ran the first part of the race for her team.
Her teammates were Kathy Cook, Bev Callender, and Shirley Thomas. They finished the race in 42.71 seconds. They were just behind the team from East Germany. They also finished just ahead of the fast Jamaican team. Joan also made it to the semi-finals in the 200 metres race at these championships.
Olympic Games and New Records
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Joan reached the semi-finals of the 200 metres. She ran her fastest ever 200 metres race there. Her time was 22.86 seconds, which was a personal best!
In 1985, Joan broke her own UK indoor record again. She ran 23.33 seconds in Stuttgart. She then finished fourth in the 200 metres final at the 1985 European Indoor Championships. Her record of 23.33 seconds stood for nine years! It was finally broken by Katharine Merry in 1994.
Commonwealth Games Gold
In 1986, Joan represented England at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. She won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay. Her teammates were Paula Dunn, Kathy Cook, and Heather Oakes. Winning a gold medal for her country was a fantastic achievement!
Joan became the British 200 metres champion in 1987. She won the British WAAA Championships title that year. She also competed at the World Championships in Rome. There, she was part of the sprint relay team.
Joan's Fastest Times
These are Joan Baptiste's best times in her main races:
- 100 metres – 11.32 seconds (achieved in Zurich, Switzerland, on 24 August 1983)
- 200 metres – 22.86 seconds (achieved in Los Angeles, USA, on 9 August 1984)
- 200 metres (indoors) – 23.33 seconds (achieved on 23 February 1985, which was a former UK indoor record)
More Information
- European Indoor Championships results
See also
In Spanish: Joan Baptiste para niños
