Now we all know just what kind of form Quincy Wilson has been in recently. What started as being the youngest track star from Team USA to clinch a gold at Paris 2024 to breaking records at the NB Indoors earlier this year, he has been sensational. With so much at such a young age, one might think he must be taking in all the glory. But those who have followed him know that he has had quite a few hiccups in his journey. But in a recent interview, he finally admitted just how tough it was for him. So what did he have to say?

After all, coping somewhat at New Balance, Wilson got back to winning ways. However, the joy was only momentary. Soon after his NB victory, Wilson had yet another setback. This time, he lost a high school race against Tywan Cox. Thus, it is quite clear that something is amiss with Wilson’s arsenal. Reflecting on his feelings on his prolonged lean patch, the 16-year-old track phenom had some honest words to confess. 

Quite expectedly, one would not feel great with this type of performance. And Wilson was no different. Speaking to Forbes, the Olympic gold medalist compared his feelings to getting bad grades on an examination. “The feeling you get when you have a bad grade, I just can’t live with that feeling,” said Wilson.  “A lot of people say, ‘Quincy, you can just go out there and just do anything in the classroom! But I can’t live with that feeling,” the Olympian further added. 

Surely, all these performances are haunting Wilson at the moment.  “I can’t live with the bad feeling of not having the work done or thinking about the work I didn’t complete when I go to sleep,” Wilson continued. And he also pointed out that without making things right, he couldn’t relax. Well, looking at his current performance, it does seem Wilson must go back to the drawing board. Participating in the Pepsi Florida Relays, Wilson’s Bullis School was the favorite to win the race.

But Tywan Cox had other ideas. With the Miami Northwestern dropping 3:08.74, the Bullis’ 3:09.97 faded into oblivion. Meanwhile, trying to analyze what went wrong for Wilson, a track legend recently shared his two cents.

Olympian breaks silence with blunt truth about Quincy Wilson’s struggles

Quincy Wilson’s recent performance slump has ignited serious conversations across the track and field world. And Olympian Darrell Hill isn’t holding back. After watching Wilson fall short at the Florida Relays, Hill took to X with a blunt confession that’s now resonating with many. He stated, “I know I’m not supposed to say this, but… that kid needs a break.”

Hill’s concern revolves around what he believes is a classic case of burnout. Despite being just a high schooler, Quincy has been relentlessly competing since last season. Hill wrote, “I was so shocked when I saw him open his indoor season in January after all of those races last season.” To him, Wilson’s dip in form—punctuated by losses to Andrew Salvodon, Will Sumner, and most recently Tywan Cox—isn’t a mystery but a warning sign.

Hinting that Wilson’s current pace may be unsustainable, Darell Hill shared, “He’s got an opportunity for a long career, but it’s gonna take some planning.” Hill’s comments sparked a wave of responses from All-Americans and Olympians alike. While some, like Derek Johnson, suggested that Quincy Wilson could continue racing if he’s enjoying it, others, like Carlin Isles, offered simple, emphatic agreement: “Facts!”

Regardless of where opinions land, one thing is clear—Wilson’s story is quickly shifting from dominance to dilemma.