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Quincy Wilson just had his dreams shattered. With the possibility of making history, Wilson was hyped to make it to Paris in the 400m discipline. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as expected. As the individual 400m standings were released, the first three names were Quincy Hall (44.17s), Michael Norman (44.41s), and Chris Bailey (44.42s). In what turned out to be a sorrowful outing, Wilson finished sixth, thus depriving him of the chance to make history.

However, despite missing out on a huge opportunity, Wilson does not seem distraught. Talking to the media after the trials, the 16-year-old appeared to be in a jovial mood. Wilson reflected that there was no room for disappointment. He was just 16, and the promise he showed would only bolster his confidence further. Quincy Wilson also stressed how his family, especially his grandmother, has supported him. On Friday, he broke the under-18 world record – that had stood for 42 years – in the first round of the 400m with a time of 44.66.

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Speaking about the same, Wilson stated, “Think about seeing my grandma up in the stands cheering for me. I look straight at her, and I see that she was praying for me. And I feel like those are the reasons, and everybody else praying for me is the reason why I’m out here running great times.” Wilson further elaborated that it’s the prayers and not just his training that makes him strive hard and achieve so much. 

Quincy Wilson: An icon in the making

Quincy Wilson has been one of the highlights of the US Olympic trials. Running in the heats and the semifinals, Wilson shattered a couple of records in a matter of 3 days. First, he ran 44.66s to break Darell Robinson’s 42-year-old record. Next up in the semis, Wilson clocked 44.59s to shatter the U18 world record. However, Wilson’s success story started way before 2024. 

Back in 2022, a 14-year-old Wilson ran a time of 48.41s in the 400 m outdoors. By the time August 2022 arrived, Wilson was already celebrating his fifth AAU Junior Olympic Games title. Fast forward to 2024, Wilson ran 45.13s at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, setting up a new 400m meet record. Thus, while Paris did elude the young phenom, the future surely does look bright for the 16-year-old.