Track and Field Legend Puts Quincy Wilson in the Spotlight With Massive Statement About Future

Remember when Quincy Wilson stunned the track and field world when he made his much-anticipated debut on the world’s biggest stage? At just 16 years old, the wunderkind made his Olympic debut in the 4x400m relay prelims at the iconic Stade de France. However, before he stepped into the French capital, the phenom recorded a stunning 400m victory at the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida. What was his time? He scorched to the finish line in a blistering 44.20 seconds. With this, he had set a new U18 400m world record. 

In fact, he even made waves at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. The Olympian crossed the finish line in 46.67 seconds in the 400m event. But this was just the beginning. At the PUMA East Coast International Showcase, he recorded a time of 45.17 seconds. But he brought it down further at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor by emerging victorious in 45.13 seconds. It’s this sensational performance that caught a couple of track and field legends’ eyes. What did they say?

Quincy Wilson might be just what track and field needs

The 2024 Paris Olympics gave us several magical moments, but nothing could beat the wunderkind’s debut on the now iconic purple tracks. On a December 13 episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green discussed his impressive prowess throughout the years. “We have a lot of these young stars coming up, Christian Miller, you know what I mean? I mean… uh, Quincy [Wilson]. I say our future is safe with a lot of these young stars, man,” Green admitted. 

The track and field analyst reiterated this by highlighting how the 16-year-old has a stellar track career. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, he broke the 400m world record for the Under-18 sprinters twice in the space of three days, a record that had stood for 42 years. In the heats, the wunderkind crossed the finish line in 44.66 seconds. However, he brought it down to 44.59 seconds in the semi-finals. Shortly after, he stunned crowds by contesting in Gainesville, Florida.

However, Green further clarified that he wasn’t speaking about Quincy Hall but Quincy Wilson. To which Justin Gatlin playfully addressed the namesakes as Big Quincy [Hall] and Little Quincy [Wilson]. Yet, the Bahamian sprinter couldn’t help but marvel at one thing. “Yeah, but like, this kid was like a national champion when he’s like eight years old or something like that, bro,” he admitted. It’s true! The Olympian has been running since he was seven. 

Yet, he couldn’t compete at the Junior Olympics because he lost by 0.1 seconds. On the other hand, he used this to fuel his passion for something bigger. From then on, he had won a national championship in the 400m from the age of eight all the way to fifteen. Rodney Green was floored by the 16-year-old’s trajectory since then and wished him nothing the best. However, when he contested in the Paris Olympics, the track and field analyst believed that everything he experienced was needed. 

Quincy Wilson started off the blocks in the 4x400m event. But he wasn’t as quick and trailed in seventh place before handing off the baton to Vernon Norwood. Even though it wasn’t what the 16-year-old hoped for, Team USA managed to bag a third-place finish with 2:59:15 on the clock. While the wunderkind wasn’t too pleased, the Bahamian athlete admitted that this would give him an idea of what the real world is like. And it looks like it worked!

The sprinter received his flowers with a fitting ending to his season

However, the 16-year-old wasn’t too pleased by his performance in the Paris Olympics. He returned to the States with his maiden Olympic gold medal. In addition to this, he had also set three personal bests in the 400m at the Under-18 level and nearly made it through to the individual 400m event. However, the pièce de résistance was when he added yet another accomplishment to his ever-growing list of accolades.

What was it, you ask? Quincy Wilson was bestowed with the USATF Youth Athlete of the Year award for the stunning year he had on the track. The sprinter even shared the news on Instagram by sharing an image of himself holding the medal with the widest smile. What caught fans’ eyes was the heartwarming caption he shared with it. “Grateful for a God who has been my strength, my guide, and my constant source of love,” the Olympian stated. 

The sprinter further reiterated that everything he endured during the year was all a part of the plan for him. The accolade meant so much more than just running fast. It was about the journey and the support he received throughout the way. He even gave his parents a much-needed shout-out.

Shortly after, Quincy Wilson shared a heartwarming Instagram story of an image of his parents, Roy and Monique Wilson. His family had always been his biggest cheerleaders and even uprooted their lives from Chesapeake, Virginia, to Gaithersburg, Maryland, just so the wunderkind could attend Bullis School in Potomac. He admitted that nothing he achieved would have been possible without them. Have you been following his journey all this while? And if you have, do you agree with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green?