The current 400-metre under-18 Australian champion dominated the sprint at the Victorian Country Track and Field Championships, crossing the line in 47.38 seconds for the men's under-20 400m event, 13 milliseconds slower than the qualifying time.
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However, Baird said he was confident he would make the qualifying time in upcoming events, including the Ballarat Gift and the state championships at Albert Park.
Baird, who is the Llanberris track record holder with his 46.97, couldn't quite scrape sub-47 seconds but was still pleased with the result.
"I was just off my pb, but first race out of a hamstring tear, I'm stoked," he said.
"I came out and flowed well in the first 200 metres of the race."
The Ballarat Harriers and Pod Squad sprinter ran in lane eight and said the wind had to be factored into his race plan.
"The wind was outrageous, it hit me like a brick wall. There's a cross wind here so you never get a tail wind," he said.
"Especially in lane eight I was blind, you have to run your own race and I know how my race plan works."
Speaking with The Courier earlier in the week, Baird said he would train to qualify for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games later in the year.
