High school phenom Quincy Wilson is on his way to Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Wilson will be in the pool for the men’s 4×400 relay on Team USA’s track and field team.
Wilson’s impressive performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, made him the youngest U.S. male Olympian in track and field history.
Wilson’s coach, Joe Lee, confirmed to USA Today that the young runner received the news on Sunday. The team won’t be officially announced until July 8.
“The call came directly from USA Track and Field,” Lee told USA Today, “and then I called Quincy to tell him the good news.”
Wilson took the track and field world by storm in the preliminaries. The 16-year-old phenom broke the under-18 world record in the 400 meters opening race, circling the track in 44.66 seconds. The high school record he broke stood for 42 years. Wilson then broke that mark in Sunday’s semifinals, advancing to the final in 44.59 seconds.
In the final, the 16-year-old from Bliss High School in Maryland finished sixth in 44.94 seconds, missing out on one of the three automatic spots.
Quincy Hall won the 400 meters in a personal best time of 44.17. Michael Norman was second in 44.41 and Chris Bailey earned the third and final automatic qualifier spot with a time of 44.42.
“To break 44 seconds three times in a row is just amazing,” Wilson said in Eugene. “All I know is I gave it my all. I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m a 16-year-old running the same times as adults.”
After the 400 meters, Wilson told reporters she was continuing to pray for a spot on the team and that she planned to avoid junk food this summer.
“I don’t know if my season is over and I don’t want to go get ice cream anytime soon,” Wilson said after the 400 meters. “I might have to get that phone call and pick myself up, but I’m just going to keep my head down and pray and hopefully I make the national team.”
Wilson’s hopes and prayers have been answered: he won’t be able to eat ice cream for a while.
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