16-Year-Old Quincy Wilson Remains Unfazed by Track and Field Critics: ‘It Motivates Me’

The Bullis school sophomore Quincy Wilson is having an electrifying time on the tracks in 2024! Over three months after he set a 400m U-18 indoor world record with his 45.76 seconds spectacle, his recent victory at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 2024 is another notch on the young athlete’s belt. With a 45.13 timing at Franklin Field on Saturday, he bested his competitors in the 400m event category and set a new personal record, his fastest so far.

However, Wilson’s triumphant corollaries on the track appear to be powered by more than just his athletic prowess. Post this feat in Philadelphia, the 16-year-old from Maryland opened up on how he channels everything, even the criticism, to reap the best results in the field.

Wilson’s mantra remains to pierce through the fault-finding

In his interview with Chris Chavez and Katelyn Hutchison aired on Citius Magazine’s YouTube channel, Quincy Wilson shed light on how he deals with those who ‘got a little doubt‘ in him. Answering Katelyn who cites an example of those who comment that Wilson and Christian Miller need to fix their forms, the 400m dash winner replies, “To be honest, I can totally talk about myself right now, that motivates me!” 

He adds that such mentions keep him “out there” and linger in his mind throughout the practice. “When I am practicing, you can ask any of my teammates, I work extremely hard. So that’s just in my head when I’m practicing,” remarked the sprinter. Apparently, he leverages criticism as a driving force, pushing himself to improve and refine his skills with every practice session. As a result, he has managed to achieve a laudable distinction in the sport very early in his career. And the rising icon seems well aware of this.

Sharing a piece of his mind, he says, “I was thinking about it one day. And it was just like….some people, they’re like 30-something years old, I am 16. They’ve had multiple races on their hands.” He even agrees that they may not have run more races than Wilson this season, but they’ve run way more races “in their lifetime” compared to him. Thus, he seems cognizant of the magnitude of the competition he is going to be up against.

However, he appears focused on only the positives. He says, “This is my third 400m of the season. And some of them have ran multiple in different countries.” He further reasons that this often takes a toll on the bodies of the athletes. Therefore, with unflinching faith in his preparation, Wilson iterates, “So, I think that I should be able to be ready.” With the Olympics drawing near, what chance does he stand in the grand scheme of things?

Quincy Wilson scripts history in his own inimitable ways

Quincy Wilson’s ascent as one of track and field’s most promising athletes can mainly be accredited to a few of his extraordinary achievements. At the nascent age of 9, he debuted at the 2017 AAU Junior Olympics, which flagged off his sporting career. By 2022, he had already bagged his 5th AAU Junior Olympics title with his 47.77 in 400m dash. But little did the track and field community know that the 2008-born was just getting started.

Competing in the New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston, he eclipsed Usain Bolt’s and Kirani James’ timings on the World U-18 list. He even claimed the U-18 500m indoor world record at the start of the year. Moreover, he added another feather to his cap at the Florida Relays, where his 400m timing was a striking 45.19. With this, he got through to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene.

With him proving his mettle, Wilson garnered attention from many renowned names in the sport. Legendary athlete Justin Gatlin remarked on Wilson’s Florida showdown, saying, “That’s Crazy!” Even track sensation Noah Lyles commented on him saying, “He is HIM”. And as the champion eyes a spot in the 4x400m USA squad at the Paris Olympics, the coming days are extremely crucial for him. However, fans doubt if he will be able to cut through fierce competition. Will he be able to continue his winning streak? Let us know what you think.