“Only Got One Chance”: Racing With Adults, Quincy Wilson Opens Up About How His Coach Made Him Go All Out

Breaking a world record isn’t a feat that happens every day. But for 16-year-old Quincy Wilson, that’s exactly what happened, and twice in two days! The Bullis High student set a new U18 world record in the men’s 400m race at the ongoing US Olympic Team Trials and justifiably is elated about what he managed to pull off in Oregon. Now, as the athletes take a breather after four days of intense competition, Wilson had some time to talk about how he maintained composure.

After the 400m semi-final race a couple of days ago, Wilson was heard expressing his joy about his feat emphatically. And now, he shed light on the person who always showed up in his corner.

In an Instagram story uploaded by Citius Mag, Quincy talks about how Joe Lee, his training coach, helped him push himself to the limit and go toe-to-toe with the nation’s elite 400m runners. “He kept me on a level mind,” said Wilson in the interview with Chris Chavez. “You’re just as good…Just keep focusing,” revealed the teenager as to what his coach had to say about the sprinter’s prowess. The faith Lee showed helped Quincy muster his confidence and believe in what he could achieve.

It was Joe’s encouraging words that kept circulating in Quincy’s mind, even when he was positioning himself on the lane. “I was like, ‘You’ve only got one chance. This is the last final’,” Wilson kept reiterating himself moments before the race. However, despite the young gun showing a lot of potential leading up to the final, the final hurdle to Paris proved to be an insurmountable task for him. Finishing the race in sixth place (44.94 seconds), Quincy didn’t secure his berth in the 2024 Olympics, but his feat from the tournament hints at brighter days ahead for the high school sophomore.

Joe has always been a staunch believer in what Quincy can produce on big stages. “He doesn’t even have barriers,” Lee said about his prodigal student, who has been breaking and making records at his will in recent months. While coaches are an integral part of the athletes’ success, Lee’s importance was even more crucial given how adversities plagued Quincy only days ahead of the Olympic Trials.

Quincy Wilson’s perils didn’t stop him from going after his dreams

After winning the men’s 400m race at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor earlier this month, Wilson narrated the troubles that befell him and his family about a month ago. His sister, a track runner herself, met with a horrible injury that resulted in a fractured hip. The magnitude of the injury meant that she would be out of competition for the rest of the remainder of the season, and Quincy had to stay beside his sister to help her navigate through the difficult times.

Quincy went on to win the PUMA East Coast International Showcase in honor of his sister but was diagnosed with a stomach bug right after. The pain was blinding, and the teen had to be admitted to the hospital to treat the issue properly. Luckily for him, the doctors could mitigate the issue without deliberation and Wilson was soon back on the tracks. While these were understandably difficult ordeals to face, Joe’s able guidance helped Quincy bounce back in style and find his footing soon.

While the Team Trials didn’t pan out as Lee or Wilson would have hoped for, the young Turk still has the world and his whole career ahead of him. That being said, it remains to be seen if he will rise through the vestiges of track and field’s elite legacy and seal his place among the icons. Only time will tell.