“Wasn’t Even Alive!”: 16 Year Old American Star Quincy Wilson Speaks on Breaking Historic 400M Record

The track and field domain has been making histories like throwing confetti around. After some NFL names like Xavier Worthy and Tyreek Hill snatched the track spotlight with their extraordinary feats. But ahead of the Paris Olympics, the startling advent of the 16-year-old Quincy Wilson left the track world in awe.

The sophomore smashed the 400m US High School record in his recent performance at the New Balance Nationals Indoor Track & Field Championships. The previous record set by Elzie Coleman in 2004 was successfully outclassed by Wilson. This historical moment has garnered love from speedster Noah Lyles. But what did Wilson think of his great achievement?

“Dreaming about this” Quincy Wilson unveils his post-race feelings

Clocking in at 45.76s in the 400m dash, the 16-year-old smoothly edged out his rivals who couldn’t even touch the 46s mark. A recent X post of FloTrack reads, “High school sophomore Quincy Wilson took down a boys indoor 400m HS national record that had stood for 20 YEARS, clocking 45.76 at New Balance Nationals Indoor”. 

In a post-race interview, excitement was evident in his quivered voice as he said, “I’ve been dreaming about this. I’ve been watching all the races go but the 45, when the record was broken, I wasn’t even alive. I wasn’t even thought of. So, I came out here, and I was able to get my best race and 45.7 means a lot to me.” The second finisher Jayvian Greene of MVA stands with 47.21, and Jaden Marchan stands in third with 47.41.

Early in 2023, Quincy Wilson secured a staggering NIL deal with New Balance, which bore fruits in his recent feat. Securing this deal was a result of his March 2023 New Balance Indoor Championships performance. The then 15-year-old clocked in at 46.67s to take the win last year as well. But 2024 has been different.

Back-to-back accomplishments

On January 12, 2024, at the VA Showcase, the 16-year-old Wilson clocked in at 1:01.27 to rise to the No.2 position in the US all-time performances list. In the 500m of the boy’s invitational, Quincy Wilson edged out his counterparts by a huge margin. But he failed to touch the record time falling short of just 0.02s.

In the 600m, he etched his name as the US No.2 high school performer after making 1:17.36 at the 116th Millrose Games. Now having joined hands with New Balance exclusively, the budding sprinter engaged in a shoe giveaway to the youth on Christmas Eve 2023. As one of the youngest US citizens with the NIL contract, Wilson will also look to make his way to the Olympics anytime soon.

READ MORE: Noah Lyles’ Mother Left Concerned About His Body After 400m Relay Controversy