At only 16 years old, Quincy Wilson still has the chance to represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 4x400 meter relay. Should that happen, the high schooler would officially become the youngest American male to run the relay event at the Olympics since Ed Ablowich in 1932 at 19 years old.
Wilson is a potential candidate after finishing sixth in the men's 400m final on Monday with a time of 44.94 seconds, which was his third sub-45-second performance in three rounds.
"I'm just thankful for my family getting me through these rounds and how I'm here," he said after the 400m race. "Just being able to have that family that is there for me to pray. I'm just thankful for that."
His celebration? He said he was going to have cookies and cream ice cream. He won't personally be driving to get it because he doesn't have his driver's license yet.
Wilson will not be running the 400m in Paris, but making the 4x400 relay pool would earn him a ticket. No matter what, it has been a productive week in Oregon for him. Wilson, a student from Bullis High School in Maryland, broke the under-18 world 400-meter record when he won his heat with a time of 44.66 seconds. The previous record was 44.84 seconds set by Justin Robinson in 2019.
Although he ran against runners significantly older and bigger than him, Wilson approached the Olympic trials with confidence and was not disappointed at his sixth place result on Monday. "I can't go back and be disappointed because at the end of the day I'm 16 running grown-man times," he said.
Quincy Hall DIGS DEEP down the homestretch to win the Olympic Trials 400m final in the fastest time by an American this year! #TrackFieldTrials24 pic.twitter.com/iaeLxrH7Lp
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 25, 2024
Men's 400m final results:
- Quincy Hall -- 44.17
- Michael Norman -- 44.41
- Chris Bailey -- 44.42
- Vernon Norwood -- 44.47
- Bryce Deadmon -- 44.61
- Quincy Wilson -- 44.94
- Khaleb McRae -- 45.06
- Matthew Boling -- 45.15
- Justin Robinson -- 46.08
