What were you doing when you were 16 years old? Most likely, you were preparing for your daily school routine. However, for Quincy Wilson, back in August this year, he was a member of Team USA’s 4×400-meter squad and ran at the Stade de France. The youngster ran only in Heat 1 and was replaced by Rai Benjamin in the squad for the finals. 

The 16-year-old athlete wasn’t feeling any negative emotions about sitting down for the bigger event, as he knew if his teammates crossed that finish line first, he would become the Olympic champion. Eventually, he put all of his trust in Benjamin as the athlete ran the final leg of the race. However, for Wilson, there were times when he had mixed emotions, especially getting the feeling of nervousness when he saw Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and his teammate running head to head. 

Quincy Wilson witnessed a heated battle on track

The Stade de France provided many exciting races throughout the Olympic Games, and one of them was the men’s 4×400-meter final. Many fans had high expectations for Team USA, as they entered the event as being the favorites. However, the track community was aware of the potential that Team Botswana carried. And why was that? Due to them having the 200-meter Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo in their team, who also has a great record in the 400 meters.

On Spotify, Wilson starred in Underdawg Media’s podcast, where he was questioned about the emotions running through him, watching his teammate Rai Benjamin battle it out in the final leg against Tebogo. “I was very nervous, you know, because you are in that position where you are battling for first and second. I don’t know I was gonna be able to get that medal once I have seen that, once they showed me where the team was,” said Wilson.

The battle between Tebogo and Benjamin was already predicted to be going to the final stretch, and it did so. Everyone in the stands, including Wilson, who was hoping for his first Olympic medal, was taken aback by the intensity of the moment. The cluster of emotions that was going through the 16-year-old was further explained by him, stating, “It really was just really, about, um, I knew and I trusted Rai. He is like the other older brother to me. So I knew he’ll get the job done.”

Wilson knew that defeating Tebogo wouldn’t be an effortless task for anybody on the field. However, he had his trust in his fellow Team USA athlete. Eventually, Benjamin was able to cross the finish line first, as the team clocked a 2:54.43, followed by Team Botswana in second with a 2:54.53. Tebogo was just 0.10 seconds behind Benjamin, but it was enough to make Team USA the 4×400-meter relay race Olympic champion. 

As Quincy Wilson had participated as a runner in the heats of the competition, technically, he was also awarded the Olympic gold medal. At just 16 years old, he received one of the major distinctions that many athletes thrive for, and it was all thanks to the trust that he put in his teammates. Furthermore, after this prolific run, Benjamin shared his thoughts on his final leg run to Olympic gold.

Rai Benjamin’s secret to Olympic success

After earning two Olympic gold medals in a single Olympic season, Rai Benjamin became a national sensation. He starred in plenty of interviews post-the coveted event and even joined Shannon Sharpe on his Night Cap podcast. The former American football star was interested to know about the mindset that the athlete had, especially aiming for a record in Paris.

With a candid expression, Benjamin stated that the team that the United States had in Budapest could’ve done the job that this new team did at the Stade de France. However, he pointed out the tough decision of arranging the right leg for the right athlete. In any relay race, understanding the camaraderie between the athletes is really important. “It just all came down to what my leg would be. I actually wanted to run second this meet because I knew if I ran second, I would run 42.8 or 42.9,” Benjamin revealed. 

Even though the American athlete wanted to try to run in a different leg, he had to prioritize the team’s performance over him. Sharpe also stressed that if it wasn’t Benjamin in the final leg of the race, then Tebogo could’ve secured that gold medal, making a big upset.