Ronald Pognon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ronald Pognon

Pognon in 2010
Personal information
Nationality	France
Born	(1982-11-16) 16 November 1982 (age 42) Le Lamentin, Martinique
Height	1.86 m
Weight	83 kg
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 9.98 s (Lausanne 2005) 200 m: 20.27 s (Rieti 2005)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  France Olympic Games Bronze 2012 London 4 × 100 m relay World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki 4 × 100 m relay European Championships Bronze 2006 Gothenburg 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 2012 Helsinki 4 × 100 m relay European Indoor Championships Silver 2005 Madrid 60 m Bronze 2007 Birmingham 60 m Representing  Martinique CARIFTA Games Junior (U20) Gold 2001 Bridgetown 200 m

Ronald Pognon, born on November 16, 1982, is a famous French runner. He is known for his incredible speed in sprint races. Ronald first focused on the 200 metres race, but later became a specialist in shorter sprints like the 100 metres. He even held the European record for the 60 metres indoors! Ronald was also the very first French runner to finish the 100 metres race in under 10 seconds, which is a huge achievement in athletics.

Early Running Career

Ronald started his journey as a young athlete. In 2000, he took part in the World Junior Championships. There, he helped his team win a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay race. He also ran in the 200 metres individually but did not reach the final.

At that time, his best time for the 200 metres was 21.25 seconds. For the 100 metres, his best was 10.50 seconds. By 2002, he had improved a lot! His 200 metres time dropped to 20.65 seconds, and his 100 metres time was 10.24 seconds. He even made it to the semifinals of the 200 metres at the European Championships that year. He also helped the French team finish fourth in the 4 × 100 metres relay.

After this, Ronald decided to focus more on the 100 metres race. He reached the semifinals in this event at the World Championships in 2003. He also made it to the semifinals at the 2004 Olympic Games. At the Olympics, he also ran in the relay race, but his team did not make it to the final. He kept getting faster, lowering his personal best for the 100 metres to 10.13 seconds in 2003 and 10.11 seconds in 2004.

Big Achievements

The year 2005 was a very important one for Ronald. He started by setting a new French indoor record for the 60 metres race, finishing in an amazing 6.45 seconds. He then won a silver medal in the same event at the European Indoor Championships.

Later in 2005, Ronald competed at the World Championships. He ran in both the 100 and 200 metres races but did not reach the finals. However, he achieved something incredible in the 4 × 100 metres relay. He and his teammates won a gold medal! This was a huge victory for France.

Ronald also set new personal best times that season. He ran the 100 metres in 9.99 seconds in July, becoming the first Frenchman to run under 10 seconds. This was a historic moment in French athletics! He also ran the 200 metres in 20.27 seconds in August.

In 2006, Ronald continued to compete at a high level. He finished sixth at the World Indoor Championships. He also came fourth at the European Championships. At the European Championships, he helped his team win a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay.

Later Career and Olympic Medal

Ronald Pognon (second from left) during the 2010 European Championships.

In 2007, Ronald won a bronze medal in the 60 metres at the European Indoor Championships. He ran the race in 6.55 seconds. He took a break from outdoor competitions that year.

Ronald returned to racing in 2008. He ran the 60 metres indoors in 6.68 seconds. In July, he ran the 100 metres in 10.13 seconds, which qualified him for the Olympic Games in Beijing. At the Olympics, he ran in the 100 metres event. He finished third in his first race and improved his time in the second round. However, he did not make it to the semifinals.

A major highlight of Ronald's career came at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was part of the French 4 × 100 metres relay team. The team performed brilliantly and finished third in the final, earning a bronze medal! This was an amazing achievement for Ronald and his teammates.

Personal Best Times

Ronald Pognon achieved some impressive personal best times during his career:

• 50 metres: 5.67 seconds (set in Liévin, France, on February 19, 2005)
• 60 metres: 6.45 seconds (set in Karlsruhe, Germany, on February 13, 2005)
• 100 metres: 9.99 seconds (set in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 5, 2005)
• 200 metres: 20.27 seconds (set in Rieti, Italy, on August 28, 2005)

See also

In Spanish: Ronald Pognon para niños