“Still in Shock,” Quincy Wilson’s Coach Breaks Silence on Plan to Beat Rai Benjamin & Michael Norman at Track & Field Olympic Trials

“We’re not just here to spectate,” is what Quincy Wilson’s coach asserted. The athletic world is all about raw talent meeting rigorous training. And amid the competition, very few stories capture the essence of dedication and strategic preparation as vividly as Quincy Wilson’s. Under the watchful eye of his coach, Joe Lee, Wilson is being transformed into a formidable athlete who redefines possibilities at a young age.

In a recent interview with Citius Mag, Quincy’s coach pulled back the curtain on the training philosophies and planning that have underpinned Quincy’s athletic prowess. Alongside, he could not conceal his excitement about Quincy setting up a new U18 400m world record. “Still in shock,” gushed the coach.

Wilson’s training regimen is a blend of both precision and passion. From detailed sprint mechanics to strategic race planning, his coach has planned it all for him. This approach was put to the test when Wilson shattered a long-standing high school 400-meter record in the U.S. Olympics Trials. Wilson’s coach had believed that the feat was no accident but a culmination of relentless hard work and a meticulously followed race plan.

“One of the things that makes me laugh and just kind of makes me scratch my head at the same time is when you know the prognosticators say what can and cannot happen. We have a race plan and we trained for this. He trains harder than anyone I’ve ever seen”, said Lee. The proud coach further added how Wilson chooses to challenge his coach to get even better.

“What you see today is not by chance, not by happenstance because he’s working on this every single day. He’s the type of kid who’s locked in. He wants to know the numbers. He challenges me, not in a disrespectful way, but he challenges me to get better”, said Wilson’s coach.

16-year-old Quincy Wilson has been making headlines for his impeccable speed for quite some time now. But the beginning of this year saw a meteoric rise for Wilson. And this might be the only thing an athlete asks for in an Olympic year. Last March, Quincy Wilson broke the indoor world record for the 400 meters. Clocking a time of 45.76 seconds in New Balance Nationals in Boston, the Bullis sophomore broke a record in the under-18 age group. The very next month in the 2024 Penn Relays, Wilson grabbed the spotlight with his individual run in the 4×400 meter. Wilson turned in splits of 44.37 and 44.69 again making it the fastest 400 split by a high schooler in Penn Relays history. Clocking these two timings on the very same day made him the talk of the event. Although his team couldn’t bag the winning title, there’s no stopping for Wilson. 

On the very first day of the U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson broke the 42-year-longstanding national high school record of Darell Robinson. He clocked a time of 44.66 and made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. Quincy Wilson’s achievement has not only made his coach Joe Lee proud but also left him amazed. Lee said, “I’m still in shock”.

Coach Lee transforms Quincy Wilson’s raw power into record-breaking speed, now eyes Olympic dreams at 16

Coach Lee revealed how Wilson had to be taught how to sprint when he first arrived. “When he got here, we had to teach him how to sprint. He had a big engine, we knew that that wasn’t a problem, but his sprint mechanics just weren’t there. We’re still working on things, and we’re not there yet”, said Lee. Revealing their training regimen, the coach shared, “We split things in the 50s, not just hundreds, and we watch patterns. We have different philosophies, but it doesn’t start now, it started back in September. We don’t believe in the philosophy of peaking. Kids are going to run fast, let them run fast, and let’s continue to build a plan so that they can run faster”.

Coach Lee also took pride in the fact that Wilson broke a record that stood for 42 years but wasn’t taken aback by the feat. Speaking about Wilson breaking Rai Benjamin’s and Michael Norman’s records, he added, “I think it was like 1982 or something like that. So, that’s pretty crazy…When he ran 45.78 and broke the indoor national record, people were surprised. I wasn’t because we know what we’re doing”.

After the race, Quincy Wilson shared with FloTrack his feelings regarding breaking the decades-old world record. Wilson said, “I just waited for this moment and I always dreamed of this moment. I know that my training, my coaching, and everybody has me in the right position, so I’m just coming out here and executing each race.” Quincy also added how he always evaluated his self-worth. “I just came from New Balance a couple of days ago, and I knew that J had something inside of me”, added the teenage phenom. It’s time for Wilson to rise and take position for Paris as he is now way beyond the high-school track events. “It’s a different game. I’m not (racing) high school anymore. I’m with the big dogs and I’m just going to give it my all”, and Wilson is aware of it. And with this mindset, would it be possible for Wilson to grab the ticket to Paris at just 16?