Team USA sprinter Quincy Wilson returns to his native Maryland as an Olympic gold medalist.
He also returns as a third-year student.
“Man, I really learned a lot in 2.5 weeks,” the 16-year-old Wilson wrote on X after accepting his gold medal in the 4×400-meter relay on Saturday.
Wilson is the youngest male track and field athlete to ever compete for the U.S. He is preparing for his junior year of high school at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.
Of course, that will make the situation a bit strange, as he is already competing with the best runners in the world, while also trying to do his homework and get to class on time.
Wilson’s post on X went viral after he became the youngest male athlete in the Olympics in U.S. history
“These conversations about ‘what did you guys do during summer vacation’ are going to take a different turn lmao,” user X joked.
“Trop, you’re an Olympian,” added another.
Despite his historic participation in Paris, and his gold medal, Wilson’s performance would undoubtedly have been even better.
Wilson left the U.S. in a distant seventh place after his opening lap in the first round of the 4×400-meter relay on Friday.
The Americans, who are normally dominant in this event, needed a rally from Christopher Bailey in the last lap to qualify for the final. The team finished third in a time of 2 minutes, 59.15 seconds.
There was almost three seconds between Wilson and Letsile Tebogo, the Botswana 200m champion who was replaced at the last minute. Wilson was picked up by experienced teammates Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Bailey.
“I wasn’t 100 percent myself, but my team came out here and did it for me,” Wilson said. “I knew I had three great legs behind me and I knew it wasn’t just me. Because if it was me, we’d be in last place. But these guys come out here and give it their all. … They played their hearts out.”
Quincy Wilson of the United States prepares for the start of a men’s 4 x 400 meter relay, round 1
Fortunately for Team USA, Rai was able to hold off Benjamin Letsile Tebogo in the final stretch, giving the Americans a gold medal and an Olympic record in the final without Wilson, who was replaced on Saturday.
“I calculated that run down to the last detail,” Benjamin said. “I have a really good, high ‘track IQ’ on people and how they run and how to run fast, so I didn’t have to work too hard: let’s just save it up and get home.”
Benjamin added this Olympic title to the one he had won the night before in the 400m hurdles, preventing 200m champion Tebogo from giving Botswana another victory over the Americans.
It was Tebogo, the 21-year-old sprint sensation, who stole the show — and gold — for the U.S. in the 200 meters on Thursday, beating Kenny Bednarek for silver and Noah Lyles, who tested positive for COVID-19, for bronze.
The American quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Benjamin completed the four laps in 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds, nearly a second faster than the U.S. 4×400 team ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And Saturday’s time was just 0.14 seconds slower than the world record set by the United States in 1993.
It is the 19th gold medal for the Americans in the 26 editions of this relay at the Summer Olympics. No other country has more than two gold medals in the men’s 4×400 meters.
“Team USA has always had the upper hand in 4×4,” Bailey said, “and we wanted to keep it that way.”
Although he didn’t compete in the final, Wilson also won a gold medal, becoming the youngest U.S. male athlete to win a track medal at a Summer Olympics. Wilson left the Americans in a distant seventh place after his opening round on Friday, but Bailey’s strong anchor leg ensured the team qualified.
On Saturday, Botswana were a tenth of a second behind, with Tebogo joined by Bayapo Ndori, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Anthony Pesela.
Great Britain came third in 2:55.83.
“When we go to the U.S. Trials, we know what to expect. That’s the hard part; this is the easy part,” Benjamin said. “So coming here and believing in ourselves and trusting each other — that’s what makes this work, what makes us so successful, when it comes to these global championships.”
That victory was followed shortly after by another – much easier – victory for the US in the women’s 4×400-meter relay, which concluded the track and field event at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Vernon Norwood from the United States takes over from teammate Quincy Wilson
With his performance Friday, Wilson became the youngest American man to compete in track and field at the Olympics, surpassing Arthur Newton, a steeplechase runner who competed in 1904 when he was 17, according to Olympic historian Bill Mallon. Other young runners who have competed in the Summer Games include Jim Ryun, who was 17 when he qualified for his first Olympics in 1964, and Erryon Knighton, who made it to Tokyo three years ago when he was 17.
Norwood was captivated by the moment until he took over the baton.
“I see a 16-year-old go to the Olympics and make history,” Norwood said. “I just look at him and think, ‘Oh, come back and let me grab the stick and go at it.’
Norwood told Wilson that before they went to the racetrack, they wanted to enjoy the moment.
“I’m super proud of him,” Norwood said.
It was a busy summer for Wilson, who already had a name, image and likeness deal with New Balance and put off getting his driver’s license so he could go running in Paris.