What else is Quincy Wilson supposed to earn this summer? At 16 years of age, he has already competed at the Paris Olympics. Thus, he is now the youngest Team USA male athlete to compete in an Olympic track and field event. And that’s not all! In Paris, he was given the role of commencing the men’s 4x400m relay race in the preliminary stage. He took the lead and helped the team qualify for the final race. However, Wilson had to give up his spot in the final to Rai Benjamin. But the squad won the race, and the prodigy received gold as a member of the squad. The accomplishment established him in history.
Quincy Wilson is now the youngest male track and field athlete to own an Olympic gold. And if you count the timeline after 1952, he is the youngest ever to possess the laurel. An enviable feat, isn’t it? And before that, the prodigy had a few more memorable accomplishments. Wilson set marks at the US Olympic track & field trials. In the prelims of the men’s 400m event, he took 44.66 seconds to finish the race. The timing was the best in the under-18 level in the last 42 years. But he still had a fire in his belly.
In the men’s 400m semi-final event, Quincy Wilson stood sixth, far away from getting into the top three. But his timing (44.59 seconds) stood as the record in the unde4-18 level of the event. Now, the Bullis High School attendee is receiving his flowers for all those spectacles. Ebony is one of those who has come forward to clap at him.
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In its latest annual Power 100 list, Ebony framed Quincy Wilson’s name. The category is Generation Next (presented by United Airlines), and with Quincy, there are names like Angel Reese, Ayra Starr, Monet McMichael, and many others. Naturally, the recognition filled Wilson’s heart with joy. On October 22, he shared the news through his Instagram story. In the caption, the teenage athlete wrote, “one of the biggest accomplishments ever in my life. Super blessed and honored.” The sole aim of the award is to recognize Black talent across the realms of sports, business, entertainment, and culture. The CEO of Ebony, Eden Bridgeman, termed those talents as “Transformative leaders.” Per her, this is the most critical time to honor such ‘leaders’.
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And Quincy Wilson has made his place among those ‘leaders’ now. A goosebumps moment for him, isn’t it? Notably, this time, in its 79th anniversary, the magazine has also listed personalities like Snoop Dogg, Keke Palmer, Maya Rudolph, and many others. However, as the track and field athletes, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson have also made it to the list. But they are in the Leaders in Sports category. In Paris, Quincy had his moments to share with these names. Furthermore, he had his legend meet with him at the same venue.
Quincy Wilson earns his flowers from the legends of sports
With the days passing by, Quincy Wilson has been reaching a stellar height of popularity. His list of fans now includes names from the realms of sports and glamor. Furthermore, his popularity often bridges the gap between sports like track and field and football. Yes, Quincy has a lot of fans in college football. Not for his prowess in the sport, but also because his extraordinary feat at such a young age has made the legends follow him. It had been evident before the Paris Olympics when monuments like Tyreek Hill and Coach Prime showered praise on him. But at the Paris Olympics, Wilson touched something unbelievable.
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Is Quincy Wilson the future of American track and field, or just a flash in the pan?
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In the opening ceremony, the teenager had the chance to pose with LeBron James and Coco Gauff, the skippers of the US Olympic team. That was the dream-come-true moment for him. But for him, the summer wasn’t over by then. Later, the former football safety Ryan Clark introduced him to Jay-Z at a party. The icon took his time to share with Wilson amid the party. That put Quincy’s coach in a compromised situation. He envied his mentee to taste such fame at such an age. He funnily quipped, “I am still hating on him, because he wants to be like LeBron James; the other day he was with Jay-Z, Jay-Z zapping him up like he doesn’t even know his music.” Now, Quincy has achieved his position in another league. Seriously, his summer is far from being over!
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Is Quincy Wilson the future of American track and field, or just a flash in the pan?