Just days after making headlines with a historic performance at the Paris Olympics, Quincy Wilson has shared a bittersweet update. The 16-year-old sensation, who will return to Maryland as an Olympic relay gold medalist and high school junior, took to X with a post that resonated with many: “Dang, I really got school in 2 and a half weeks.” At such a young age, Wilson has already etched his name in history as the youngest male track and field gold medalist ever.
This fall, Wilson is set to start his junior year at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, but his journey to this point has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the 4x100m heats and semi-finals, he made waves by setting a world record with a time of 44.59 seconds and finished sixth in the trials with a 44.20-second run. His athletic prowess captivated the world, and his recent update reveals the unexpected challenge of balancing teenage life with his newfound fame
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16-year-old track star confronts new struggles following record-breaking performance
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In a recent post on X, Quincy Wilson revealed that TikTok attempted to ban his account, captioning it, “TikTok tried to ban me because they said I was too young💔💔.” Despite this setback, Wilson stayed positive and engaged with his fans. At the Paris Olympics, Wilson made history as the youngest American track Olympian at age 17, competing in the 4×400-meter relay. Though Wilson described his performance as mediocre as he said, it “wasn’t 100% myself” during the race in which he passed the baton in seventh place. However, it was third place for the USA and, therefore, qualified for the final with a speed of 2:59:15.
Tiktok tried to ban me because they said I was too young💔💔.
— Quincy “Q” Wilson (@QuincyWilson5) August 12, 2024
On August 6, he even expressed his desire to become an Olympian, which he had from his childhood, as he wrote on X, “7 years ago, I was at the Junior Olympics and won my first national championship in the 400! I told myself I wanted to become an Olympian,”, exaggerating it further by stating how this dream has become true. Although he did not compete for the team in the final on Saturday, he received a gold medal as the team of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, and Rai Benjamin broke the Olympic Record in the event with a time of 2:54:43. While seated in the stand, Wilson was seen clapping and encouraging his teammates.
However, this young athlete is worried about why he has been banned from TikTok because, per TikTok’s policy, 13-year-olds cannot use the app. But, even though he is 16, the problem still occurred. The possible reason may be that most American states have already banned TikTok, prohibiting the star performer from using it. Reflecting on his post on X regarding the ban, many facts reacted differently. Like, a fan wrote with a casual tone yet pride in his voice, “You got Gold who cares! The government is trying to ban TikTok we are definitely proud of you! 👏🏾,.@QuincyWilson5” praising the talent of this young gold medalist.
One fan even reacted humorously and asked everyone to help Quincy, as TikTok is giving him a really tough time. Some others felt his ban was a personal problem and commented with a ‘heartbroken emoji.’ Though the reason for his TikTok ban is still unclear, one thing that definitely broke his mother’s heart was his last-minute exclusion from the final team.
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Did Quincy Wilson just expose the dark side of the Olympics? React!
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Quincy Wilson’s mother’s confession of his son’s exclusion made everyone sad
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In 128 years of US men’s track history at the Olympics, there has been no sight like Quincy Wilson racing through the bends at Stade de France in Paris on August 9. The high school junior had a challenging debut in this major event, running the first leg of the relay with a 47.27-second split and passing the baton while Team USA was in seventh place. Following his impressive performance, Team USA shared on X, “The future is bright 🤩✨ #ParisOlympics,” Wilson posted a thank you message to express his gratitude to the team.
Despite this outstanding showing, Wilson was unable to compete in the finals. His lifelong cheerleader, his mother, shared her heartbreak on Instagram, revealing that Quincy would not run in the Mixed 4x400m relay. She posted a photo of him with the caption, “Bon jour!! Although it says differently on the Official Olympic site, the Coach notified Quincy that he will not be running in the Mixed 4x400m relay… thanks for ALL the support!! ❤️” However, despite not running in the finals, Quincy Wilson ended his Olympic journey on a high note, clinching gold in the 4x400m relay. His remarkable resilience and achievements continue to inspire and shine brightly.
Debate
From making history to facing a ban, Quincy Wilson's journey is unreal—what's your take on this?