Envision this: a 17-year-old kid from Bullis School in Maryland, Quincy Wilson, strutting onto the track scene like he’s the second coming of Usain Bolt, and Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin can’t stop raving about him. Gatlin, a sprinting icon who’s seen it all—from Athens 2004 glory to world championship dominance—knows a star when he sees one, and he’s calling Wilson the real deal.

This isn’t just another high school phenom running fast times; it’s a full-on spectacle that’s got Gatlin comparing the buzz to the King of Pop himself. In an interview on Ready Set Go, Gatlin said, it’s “pandemonium bro, like pandemonium—they were treating him like little Michael Jackson.” For Gatlin, Wilson’s rise, paired with the Bullis School track program’s relentless success, is rewriting the script on what high school stardom looks like. But what exactly did Gatlin witness that’s got him so hyped? Let’s dive into the chaos he described.

Gatlin painted a scene straight out of a blockbuster: “This man walked down the stairs and they did not let this—they did not part to let this dude run walk by, literally, the security guard fell over the security railing and you watch Quincy kind of run off like, ‘I got to get up out of here. Hold on, they about to go crazy.’ That’s not just a crowd—that’s a mob losing its mind over a teenager who’s barely old enough to drive. Gatlin’s take?  “Think back to any high school phenoms that we’ve witnessed and it was not like this though, you see what I’m saying?” he mused. It’s the raw, unscripted energy—the security guard tumbling, the fans refusing to budge—that’s got Gatlin thinking Hollywood needs to get involved. So, what’s fueling this Michael Jackson-level madness?

Here’s where it gets juicy: Gatlin isn’t just blown away by Wilson’s blazing 400-meter times—a U18 world record at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials—but by the whole Bullis package. “It’s something different about Quincy, something different about Bullis,” he said, pointing to a combo that’s rare in the prep ranks. Wilson’s not a lone wolf; he’s got a squad that’s crushing it too. Gatlin’s impressed by the synergy: “Not only Quincy’s doing well, but his counterparts, teammates, relay—the whole Bullis organization is like, they’re on their game.” It’s a team effort amplifying a singular talent, and fans are eating it up. But can this hype sustain itself beyond high school?

Looking ahead, Gatlin sees a future where Wilson’s star power doesn’t just flicker out after graduation. “People are like, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll wait—keep on doing this high school phenomenal stuff and when time for you to go pro, we’ll be right behind you, bro,’ he said, marveling at the loyalty already building around the kid.  Now, at 17, he’s got Gatlin dreaming big: “That’s why I was saying earlier, man, they got to make this into a movie, bro.” So, will Quincy Wilson’s journey really hit the silver screen, or is this just the beginning of a legacy that outshines even the wildest expectations?

Unpacking the Quincy Wilson phenomenon

Quincy Wilson isn’t just another high school track star—he’s a 17-year-old phenom from Bullis School in Maryland who’s rewriting the record books and turning heads faster than he blazes through the 400-meter dash. It all started heating up in 2023 when, as a 15-year-old sophomore, he clocked a jaw-dropping 46.67 seconds in the 400m at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, signaling he was no ordinary talent. By June 2024, he’d smashed the U18 world record with a 44.59 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, earning a spot on Team USA’s 4x400m relay squad. At the Paris Olympics, he became the youngest U.S. male track Olympian ever at 16, bringing home gold with a 2:54.20 split in the prelims. But how did a teenager from Potomac, Maryland, turn into a global name so fast?

Zooming into 2025, Wilson’s junior year has been pure fire. At the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March, he torched the 400m in 45.71 seconds—a meet record—and anchored Bullis to a national-record 3:09.44 in the 4x400m relay, the first high school team to dip under 3:10 indoors. That’s not all: his 200m personal best of 21.02 from 2024 still echoes as one of the fastest ever by an American high schooler. His combo of speed and cool-headedness has fans dreaming of pro-level dominance. So, what’s behind this meteoric rise that’s got even the pros taking notice?

Here’s the kicker: Wilson’s not doing it alone. The Bullis School track program is a machine, and he’s the spark plug. His relay teammates—like seniors Issam Asinga and Morgan Roth—have turned Bullis into a national powerhouse, with that 3:09.44 4x400m time proving they’re all in sync. At the 2024 Holloway Pro Classic, Wilson dropped a 44.20-second 400m—the fastest U18 mark ever—showing he can hang with the big dogs. With his senior year and a pro career looming, fans are already lining up, the kid’s got gold, records, and a squad that’s got his back—where’s this rocket ship headed next?