2024 was a great year for Quincy Wilson. Indeed, in the early parts of the campaign, the high schooler dominated the grid in many competitions, setting up new records and catching the attention of many people. However, his notoriety increased as he began to achieve timings significantly faster than his competitors, eventually qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Wilson made history in the French capital by securing his career-first Olympic gold medal at just 16 years of age. Indeed, an Olympic medal is such an accolade that many track and field athletes chase for a lifetime, but only a handful of them are able to actually achieve it. However, his performance in the 4x400m relay enabled him to secure the achievement. So, as he prepares for a major track meet in 2025, he faces immense expectations, as evidenced by the social media hype surrounding him. But why the pressure? That’s because he will be defending a certain title.

Quincy Wilson will be testing himself at the Virginia event

In 2024, Quincy Wilson raced on various tracks, and that will surely give him an advantage over his rivals on the grid. Indeed, these races included both indoor and outdoor events, as the Olympic champion is a versatile athlete. So, which title is he exactly defending this year? Last campaign, on January 12, Wilson raced at the Virginia Showcase, where he ran in the 500m short track. But what were the results? He was placed first, way ahead of the grid, with a timing of 1:01.27.

That is a remarkable performance for a 16-year-old, and now he is 17, so the expectations from the fans are even higher. Indeed, the time that he set last season was also Quincy’s PB in the distance indoors. Since then, he has run in several other indoor events, like the Millrose Games, the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational, and the New Balance Nationals Indoors.  And even though they were of different distances, experience will be something that will be a lot more beneficial for the Olympic champion to stay a bit ahead of his competitors on the grid.

However, how’s the 17-year-old feeling about this challenge in the new campaign? Is he excited? “For me, tomorrow, my goal is just to better myself. I’ve been training for two months, and my goal is just to better myself,” Wilson stated during a pre-race press conference. Indeed, he wants to cross that personal best of his in the 500m short track, and he knows that with a little bit of push, he can claim the accolade with utter dominance. Only time will tell what he can achieve in the event, but the fans are already excited about his appearance at this indoor event.

The track and field community has high expectations for the 17-year-old

At the Virginia Showcase last year, the high schooler ran an absolutely thrilling race, so eventually, for this year, after winning the Olympic Games, expectations are at the top of the sky from the fans. One fan stated, “Bros about to destroy the 500 tmr.” Many even think that Quincy Wilson might set something huge in the race, as this user stated, “Big performances coming soon…” Making their prediction clear, this fan wrote, “Quincy breaking 60.”

But has he run any race before the upcoming Virginia Showcase? Yes, Wilson appeared at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic right before the New Year. And what distance did he run? He participated in the 600m race, and he obliterated the grid by crossing the finish line at 1:17.19. Indeed, he achieved a personal best, set a meet record, and finished 0.19 seconds faster than the second-place finisher.

This run made the community more hopeful for his appearance at major races, and this explains the hype surrounding him at the Virginia Showcase. As one fan wrote, “Quincy form looks even better now.” Indeed, many complained about his form back in the Olympic Games, but he has improved it really well, as this fan also stated, “Bros form is getting better.” Furthermore, another user knows that the grid is about to get obliterated by the 17-year-old, stating, “Scary hours.”

With expectations come pressure, but Wilson is not new to these situations. He has faced expectations before and has proved many critics wrong and his fans absolutely right that he’s the next big thing in track and field!