Watching Usain Bolt Head to Head With American Track & Field Legend Inspired 16-Year-Old Quincy Wilson to Aim for Olympics

“WE GOING TO THE OLYMPICS,” exclaimed Quincy Wilson, expressing his excitement at becoming the youngest track and field athlete in U.S. history to make the Olympic team. At just 16 years old, Wilson has already set his sights on Olympic glory, inspired by watching legendary matchups like Usain Bolt facing off against American track and field icons. Drawn to the electrifying energy of these head-to-head battles, Quincy’s journey from a young enthusiast to a determined athlete reflects a new generation’s ambition in track and field.

During the preliminary rounds and semi-finals of the 400m event, Wilson blazed across the track with incredible speed, breaking and then resetting a world record. In the indoor 400m, he clocked a time of 45.76 seconds, followed by an outdoor 400m time of 44.59 seconds, surpassing the record set by Darrell Robinson in 1982. Now, Quincy Wilson shares exactly who inspired him to pursue his Olympic dreams.

Usain Bolt’s legacy: Quincy Wilson’s path to Olympic pursuit

In a recent interview with ESPN on Jul 1, 2024, Wilson spoke about how he started dreaming of the Olympics when he was about eight, watching the Rio Olympics. He was inspired by Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt, who won silver and gold in the 100m dash with times of 9.89 seconds and 9.81 seconds, respectively. This marked the third consecutive time Bolt had won gold, a record that remains unbeaten. Wilson recalls that moment vividly, saying, “I remember I see Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt go head-to-head and I was just like, ‘I want to be up there one day. And I told my mom, dad, and now, it’s the dream come true.”Quincy Wilson is the youngest track and field athlete this year to qualify for the Olympics at the age of 16.

At Hayward Field in Oregon, he broke the U18 world record for the 400m sprint twice. In the event final, he finished sixth with a time of 44.94 seconds. Though he did not qualify for the individual category, he was selected by T&F authorities for the 4x400m relay event in Paris. The high school runner received the news on Sunday from his coach, Joe Lee.

However, the team won’t be formally announced until July 8. Lee told USA Today, “The call came directly to me from USA Track & Field. I called Quincy afterwards with the good news.” This makes him not only the youngest male track Olympian this year but also in history. 

In Paris, he will be joined by Quincy Hall, Michael Norman, and Chris Bailey, who all finished the 400m ahead of Wilson in the finals. However, there are speculations that Rai Benjamin may also be on the team. Wilson’s young and meteoric rise to becoming an Olympian is the stuff of legends. He said in an interview after the semi-finals, “Three consecutive sub-44s is just amazing. All I know is I gave it everything I had, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 running grown man times.” Breaking a 42-year-old record is no joke, and an athlete capable of that level of performance will surely be a star in the Olympics as well.

Quincy Wilson became a rising star to Olympic greatness

Wilson has impressive best times across multiple categories. In the 200m, he has a time of 21.02 seconds; in the 300m, it’s 33.11 seconds; and in the 500m, it’s 1:01.27 minutes. He’s also the current high school record holder for the outdoor and indoor 400m events. To prepare for this, he has participated in both the London and Miami 400m races. Additionally, he was awarded the Kennedy Award and shared it with quarterback legend J.R. House. He became the first West Virginia prep player ever to rush for over 3,000 yards in a single season. He was also a third-team AP All-American and All-Big East running back by his senior year.

Quincy Wilson has one advantage working in his favor. Having started at a very nascent age and trying to hold his own against competitors like Lyles, Bolt and whatnot, he once quipped, after giving close competition to Vernon Norwood that-“Someone that’s 16 years old, they’re most likely to get scared when they go into the big competitors. Vernon, he’s 32 years old. I’m half his age. I’m just running for my life when I’m out there. The race plan went out the window.” He has surely had a sweet 16, as far as the discerning track world can attest to.

He’s even garnered praise from big names like Michael Norman and the like. Norman competed in his maiden trials at 18, so he knows what it’s like to have run in the hallowed grounds at a young age. He said –“spectacular”. He was clearly in awe of the young phenom.

In an interview with Citius Mag, Quincy Wilson detailed his approach to preparing for the Olympics and the trials. Three things became immediately clear from his statements: Wilson has the vision. He knows exactly what he wants and expressed it frankly when he said, “I knew that I had something inside of me” and “I’ve always dreamed of this moment.”

Secondly, he puts in the effort. He had a detailed training plan and knew exactly how he would approach each race in the trials. Thirdly, he’s confident in his abilities. He’s undaunted by the veterans present. He said, “Everybody puts their spikes on the same way as I do. I train just as hard as they do.” This level of self-assurance is exactly what Team USA needs going into the Olympics.