Paris Olympics Favorite at 16, Quincy Wilson Denies Pressure of Competing With Veterans: “Put On the Same Shoes”

On June 21, when Quincy Wilson had set the new U18 record in the 400m event at Hayward Field, anyone could hardly think that a better timing might come in just two days. But, the teenage phenom from the Bullis is determined to rub his shoulders with the big guns. Today, on his way to confirm his berth in the 400m final event in the Olympic trials, Quincy Wilson replaced his 44.66 seconds timing with his fresh one, 44.59 seconds. The record has set him at the top of the American High School time list as well. But, after all, it was the same event that held names like Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon. So what was Quincy’s feeling about getting into such a competition? 

The 16-year-old kept his composure intact, despite having a race where he had to sprint with his full cylinders on. That posture was bound to amaze everyone. But Quincy had his answer ready in the post-race conversation. Surprisingly, in the race with Olympians, he had never let the situation engulf him. Pointing to that part, he said, “We’re put on the same shoes the same way. So I mean, we come out here, it’s really just we had a better race. And today, we all fought it out today.” 

In the meantime, as the final lineup shows for Monday’s meet, Quincy Wilson will have to battle against Michael Norman, the favorite to cut into the dream of Road to Paris. Additionally, Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon will also join the pack on the final trial. So would it not be tough for the 16-year-old to find himself in that star-studded pile? 

The answer would be hard to assess. But that 16-year-old sophomore had decimated the 42-year-old high school 400m record on June 21 and in a matter of a couple of hours, he did that again. That could be a story for him on its own. Even Quincy is trying to look at things on a per-day basis. 

On June 21, after hitting the clock for 44.66 seconds in the 400m heat, the talent said something about that perspective. “Honestly, just coming out here in advance, one ride at a time, because that’s the main goal,” Quincy Wilson argued. And thankfully, he knows one or two things about the depth of his opponents. Capitalizing on that, he boasted, “I’m not running high school anymore. I’m running with the big dogs”. Fortunately, Quincy’s coach has a belief in his protégé to break the cobweb of his opponents and grab his ultimatum. 

Quincy Wilson is among the best learners 

Quincy Wilson’s coach Joe Lee still remembers the early days when the sprinter appeared to him to take classes. With that, he also remembers that Quincy had never had an issue with the pace, all he lacked was the biomechanics. “His sprint mechanics just weren’t there. We’re still working on things, and we’re not there yet”, the veteran coach confessed. However, the varied planning and execution are working successfully for Quincy. Lee described the regimen at length. 

“We split things in the 50s, not just hundreds, and we watch patterns. We have different philosophies,” remains an excerpt from that regimen. However, Quincy Wilson has never found it hard to match up with such schedules. Instead, as the days pass by, the junior champion is thoroughly utilizing that technique. The result could be seen when he demolished the decades-old record. And coach Lee’s farsightedness tells that Quincy Wilson will clear more records in the upcoming days. The two days in the ongoing trial have put a seal on that prophecy. So it will be a treat to watch the final tomorrow.