Rondell Bartholomew
Encyclopedia
Rondell Bartholomew is a Grenadian
track and field
sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres
. He has represented his country at two World Championships in Athletics and was a 400 m world finalist in 2011. His personal best for the event is 44.65 seconds.
He has won medals at junior level at the CARIFTA Games
and Pan American Junior Championships. He helped set a Grenadian record
of 3:04.69 minutes for the 4×400 metres relay in 2011.
, he began competing in track and field
at high school. Although Grenada had produced a 400 m world indoor champion in Alleyne Francique
, Bartholomew stated that it was his family that provided him with inspiration to focus on running. He began competing internationally in athletics in 2008. At the CARIFTA Games
that year he won the under-20's 400 m title in a personal best time of 46.86 seconds, reached the 200 metres
semi-finals and also ran in both the Grenadian relay teams. He was a 400 m semi-finalist at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
that July, then came sixth over the distance at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
(a race which was won by his younger compatriot Kirani James
).
Bartholomew completed a Grenadian 1–2 finish with James at the 2009 CARIFTA Games
, taking the 400 m silver medal
in a personal best of 45.58 seconds (his first sub-46-second run). The duo then teamed up to win the bronze medal
in the 4×400 metres relay race. At the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
, Bartholomew was again beaten by James, but managed to win the bronze medal behind American athlete Tavaris Tate
. With a team including James, Akim Bowen and Josh Charles, he set a national junior record of 3:11.91 minutes for the 4×400 m relay at the championships. Bartholomew had acquired the world qualifying time and made his senior debut at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, running in the heats of the 400 m.
He began attending South Plains College
in Texas
in 2010 and represented them athletically. He improved his 400 m best to 45.28 seconds with a win at the Michael Johnson Classic in Waco, Texas
and claimed both the individual and relay Junior NCAA titles for South Plains. At the start of the 2011 season he won the 600 metres NCAA Indoor Junior title and came second over 200 m. He had his first run under 45 seconds at the Texas Tech Invitational, where he won the 400 m in a time of 44.65 seconds, which was the fastest time in the world at that point and brought the 21-year-old attention on the global stage. At the Penn Relays
, he and Kirani James headed a 4×400 m relay team to a Grenadian record
of 3:04.69 minutes – a mark which they later improved to 3:04.27 minutes at the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
. He made his professional debut at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York
(coming third) and also ran at the DN Galan
and London Grand Prix
Diamond League meetings.
He entered the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
as the second fastest man in the men's 400 metres field
. He made the event final and finished in sixth place with a time of 45.45 seconds, while Kirani James went on to win Grenada's first ever gold medal at the competition.
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
. He has represented his country at two World Championships in Athletics and was a 400 m world finalist in 2011. His personal best for the event is 44.65 seconds.
He has won medals at junior level at the CARIFTA Games
CARIFTA Games
For the CARIFTA swimming meet, please see: CARIFTA Swimming Championships.The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association . The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles,...
and Pan American Junior Championships. He helped set a Grenadian record
Grenadian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Grenada maintained by its national athletics federation: Grenada Athletic Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitudeOT = oversized track-External links:...
of 3:04.69 minutes for the 4×400 metres relay in 2011.
Career
Born in Saint Mark Parish, GrenadaSaint Mark Parish, Grenada
St Mark Parish is a parish on the west coast of Grenada. It is the smallest parish on the island.-Victoria:Along the west coast of the island nation of Grenada lies the small fishing village of Victoria, Grenada. Victoria is the center of activity for the St. Mark’s parish, the smallest parish on...
, he began competing in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at high school. Although Grenada had produced a 400 m world indoor champion in Alleyne Francique
Alleyne Francique
Alleyne Jeremy Francique is a retired Grenadian athlete who specialized in 400 metres, his personal best being 44.47 seconds set in 2004. He is the 400m two time world indoor champion in 2004 and 2006....
, Bartholomew stated that it was his family that provided him with inspiration to focus on running. He began competing internationally in athletics in 2008. At the CARIFTA Games
CARIFTA Games
For the CARIFTA swimming meet, please see: CARIFTA Swimming Championships.The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association . The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles,...
that year he won the under-20's 400 m title in a personal best time of 46.86 seconds, reached the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
semi-finals and also ran in both the Grenadian relay teams. He was a 400 m semi-finalist at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
that July, then came sixth over the distance at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia....
(a race which was won by his younger compatriot Kirani James
Kirani James
Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old...
).
Bartholomew completed a Grenadian 1–2 finish with James at the 2009 CARIFTA Games
2009 CARIFTA Games
The 38th CARIFTA Games was held in the George Odlum Stadium in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia on April 11-13, 2009.-Medal summary:Medal winners are published by category: Boys under 20 ,Girls Under 20 ,Boys under 17 Girls under 17...
, taking the 400 m silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in a personal best of 45.58 seconds (his first sub-46-second run). The duo then teamed up to win the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 4×400 metres relay race. At the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 Pan American Junior Championships were held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on July 31 to August 2, 2009.-Men:-Women:-External links:*...
, Bartholomew was again beaten by James, but managed to win the bronze medal behind American athlete Tavaris Tate
Tavaris Tate
-Career:At the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, Tate won a silver medal in the 400 m and a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay along with Clayton Parros, Duane Walker, and Joey Hughes....
. With a team including James, Akim Bowen and Josh Charles, he set a national junior record of 3:11.91 minutes for the 4×400 m relay at the championships. Bartholomew had acquired the world qualifying time and made his senior debut at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, running in the heats of the 400 m.
He began attending South Plains College
South Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 2010 and represented them athletically. He improved his 400 m best to 45.28 seconds with a win at the Michael Johnson Classic in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
and claimed both the individual and relay Junior NCAA titles for South Plains. At the start of the 2011 season he won the 600 metres NCAA Indoor Junior title and came second over 200 m. He had his first run under 45 seconds at the Texas Tech Invitational, where he won the 400 m in a time of 44.65 seconds, which was the fastest time in the world at that point and brought the 21-year-old attention on the global stage. At the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, he and Kirani James headed a 4×400 m relay team to a Grenadian record
Grenadian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Grenada maintained by its national athletics federation: Grenada Athletic Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:A = affected by altitudeOT = oversized track-External links:...
of 3:04.69 minutes – a mark which they later improved to 3:04.27 minutes at the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics were held in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The event served as classifiers for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and took place from July 15–17, 2011...
. He made his professional debut at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(coming third) and also ran at the DN Galan
DN Galan
-External links:**...
and London Grand Prix
London Grand Prix
The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...
Diamond League meetings.
He entered the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
as the second fastest man in the men's 400 metres field
2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 28, 29 and 30.Going into the Championships, defending champion LaShawn Merritt was serving a 2 year ban. The ban was still in effect during the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, so...
. He made the event final and finished in sixth place with a time of 45.45 seconds, while Kirani James went on to win Grenada's first ever gold medal at the competition.