These days, the spotlight is on 16-year-old Gout Gout, who’s being hailed as Usain Bolt’s successor and shattering records left and right. But before Gout Gout, there was another 16-year-old track sensation: Quincy Wilson. His performance has reignited the conversation in the track and field world, which had previously been all about Gout Gout, the Australian youth dominating with incredible records. Well, Wilson, who became the youngest U.S. track and field Olympian at just 16, made history by competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite saying he wasn’t “100% myself,” his achievements speak volumes.

He became an Olympic champion when the U.S. men’s 4×400-meter relay team claimed first place at the Paris Games. Besides the gold, he also created history by becoming the youngest male athlete in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic history to compete, where he ran the first leg of the qualifying heat. His entry set a record as the team came third in the heat and qualified for the final round. And Quincy Wilson broke another record.

Quincy Wilson runs the second-fastest in U.S. high school history

It was his first solo race after the Olympics, and he produced a time of 1:17.19 for the 600m race, which is only the second fastest time ever recorded by a high school student in the United States. He competed in the US Marine Corps Holiday Classic and triumphed in the race, with only Will Sumner’s 1:15.58 recorded in 2022 being faster than him. With this performance, Quincy is now ranked at the second position in the all-time high school boys’ list. In fact, he is breaking record after record. But is this how it all began?

It started in June during the U.S. Olympic Trials where the 16-year-old sprinter set a new world under-18s record in the 400 meters by running the distance in 44.59 seconds. He also set another best one month later at the Holloway Pro Classic, where he took the title in 44:20 seconds. How impressive is that?

He also had Coach Joe Lee to train him, and he was able to smash the 400-meter meet record at the New Balance Nationals held in Philadelphia and was also part of the Bullis 4×400 relay, which clinched the national championship for the fifth time successively. And of course, we should also add his indoor 400-meter record at the high school level of 45.76 seconds. But how did Gout Gout become the headline?

Gout Gout is just getting started

Gout Gout made a name for himself through his achievements. Gout now has several records such as the oldest athletics record in Australia which was set by Peter Norman in 1968. During the Australian National Championships and All-Schools Championship, he was able to revive a 56-year-old record in the 200-meter race with an amazing timing of 20.04 seconds. And considering performance, he has been ranked second in the world in the 200m race for the under 18 years and the world’s fastest in both under eighteen and under twenty categories. Besides, he has already qualified to compete in the World Championships 2025.

As for the future, Gout has plenty in store, and aiming for the Olympic Games, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the 2032 Brisbane Games are on his list. His training schedule is complicated, he does sprint drills, works on his strength, and performs recovery exercises while being trained by Dianne Sheppard. And as he how grows and matures, his training path is only going to get specific and refined.

The most mind-blowing part? Gout Gout actually broke one of Usain Bolt’s records! In August at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships, he ran the 200m in 20.60 seconds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 2002 record by just 0.01 seconds, when the sprint legend was 15 years old. Pretty crazy, right? And with Gout Gout and Quincy Wilson both looking like major contenders for the 2028 LA Olympics, it’s going to be so exciting to see where their journeys take them.