| Ryan Shields | |
| Nationality: | Jamaican |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | 100 metres, 60 metres |
| Birth Date: | year=1983 month=5 day=12 |
| Collegeteam: | Wayland Baptist Pioneers |
| Hometown: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Weight: | 82kg (181lb) |
| Worlds: | --> |
| Nationals: | --> |
Ryan Shields (born 12 May 1983) is a Jamaican former sprinter. He was described as "the most accomplished sprinter in IHSA history" and finished 3rd in the 2017 Stockholm Diamond League with a wind-aided 100 metres time of 9.89 seconds.[1]
Shields grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where he was a standout prep sprinter for Leo Catholic High School.[2] He was the first ever to win Class A state titles in the 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m, which he did three years in a row.[3] [4]
Though his grade-point average was sufficient, Shields did not have the necessary ACT score to qualify for an NCAA Division I scholarship.[5] Because of this, Shields competed for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers track and field team in college, an NAIA school. He set the NAIA national indoor record in the 200 m and won several NAIA national titles from 2003 to 2006.[6]
After 2008, Shields was training under the club in the Netherlands. He competed at the 2008 Jamaican Athletics Championship, where he did not qualify for the finals.
In 2016, Shields secured podium finishes in Group B at the European Champion Clubs Cup, finishing 3rd in the 100 m and 200 m, and 2nd in the 4 × 100 m. In 2017 at the Stockholm Diamond League, Shields clocked a wind-aided 9.89-second performance in the 100 metres, finishing 3rd behind Andre de Grasse and Ben Youssef Meite.[7]
| Event | Mark | Competition | Venue | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres (wind assisted) | 9.89 (+4.8 m/s) | 18 June 2017 | |||
| 100 metres (wind legal) | 10.16 (+1.5 m/s) | 27 May 2017 | |||
| 6.56 | 16 February 2017 |