In track and field, momentum is everything. One great race can catapult a career, while one off-day can raise questions. But what happens when an athlete is still winning—and starts thinking about walking away anyway? That’s exactly where 30-year-old Matt Hudson-Smith is right now. And it seems he’s feeling the pressure from rising young talent like Quincy Wilson, who, at just 16, already has an Olympic gold. So, what’s the backstory, you may ask?

It all went down on April 5th in Kingston, Jamaica. Matt Hudson-Smith, Britain’s Olympic silver medalist, walked away $100,000 richer after winning the 200m at the first-ever Grand Slam Track meet. That win, combined with his second-place finish in the 400m the day before, was enough to secure the overall title—and the cash. The 30-year-old crossed the line in 20.77 seconds, just ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards and Jamaica’s Deandre Watkin. “It’s great to win the first Grand Slam championship, I’m really excited and grateful,” he said afterward. All smiles, all good vibes…until he said something that made people do a double-take.

Right after the race, Chris Chavez from Citius Mag caught up with him, which was shared by the Grand Slamm track on X. When asked him about what this money meant, he replied, “ $100,000 richer man. So I can’t complain. I am grateful and blessed.” He further added his plans on how he will use this money, “Just saving it coming to the end of my career, so I’ll go off and do the smart thing, think about the next stage. But right now, I live in the moment, just continue on with the next competition.” Wait, what? Retirement? Now? Chris pushed back a little, like, “End of your career? Things seem to be going really well right now.” And honestly, they are. But Hudson-Smith isn’t trying to be that guy who sticks around too long.

“You gonna quit while you’re ahead?” he repeated. “I felt like a lot of people stick too long into the sport and then, you know, you get—you lose to a little guy like Quincy, you get angry.” He’s talking about 17-year-old Quincy Wilson, who made a huge splash early—Olympic gold and everything dominating setting records, but has hit a bit of a rough patch lately. Hudson-Smith’s not trying to go out like that. “So now, I know I have a—I have a day in mind. I just gotta keep stacking and keep executing. But yeah, I take it day by day, race by race, and come from there.”

So yeah, he’s still got races to run—but he’s already thinking about the exit before the lights dim. And honestly? That might be the smartest play in the game. Because Quincy Wilson is everywhere right now—setting records at 17 like it’s just another Tuesday. And remember Paris? When did Wilson’s U.S. squad outrun Hudson-Smith’s relay team for gold? Yeah, that one stung.

Quincy Wilson makes history while Matthew Hudson Smith watches the future arrive

Back in Paris, during the 2024 Olympics, in the men’s 4x400m relay, Quincy Wilson and Matthew Hudson-Smith both contributed significantly to their respective teams’ successes. Wilson, at just 16 years old, made history as the youngest male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. He ran the opening leg for Team USA in the preliminary heats, recording a time of 47.27 seconds. Despite a challenging start, his teammates secured a third-place finish in their heat, advancing to the final.

Although Wilson did not compete in the final, his participation in the heats earned him a gold medal as part of the team. Hudson-Smith played a pivotal role for Great Britain, running the second leg in both the heats and the final. His efforts helped the British team clinch the bronze medal in the relay final. Additionally, Hudson-Smith showcased his individual prowess by securing a silver medal in the men’s 400m final, setting a new European record with a time of 43.44 seconds. But seeing this young talent, Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith, who knows a thing or two about early stardom, didn’t hold back on the praise.

“He just ran 1:17 and he is not even 17 yet,” Hudson-Smith said about Quincy Wilson. “For him, the sky is the limit. He is an amazing talent. He is generational.” Hudson-Smith even compared Wilson’s rise to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s breakout in 2016. And let’s be real: with veterans hanging up their spikes, stars like Wilson aren’t just the future—they’re the now. If this is what he’s doing before 17, track and field better buckle up!