“Wasn’t the Greatest”: Quincy Wilson Confesses About Historic Paris Olympics Gold Medal

Being a world-renowned athlete at a young age doesn’t happen to everyone. And being an Olympic gold medalist as a teenager is an even rarer feat. But Bullis High School’s Quincy Wilson pulled off the stupendous task at the mere age of 16. While he didn’t compete in the 4x400m relay final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, no one can take away anything from Wilson after seeing his blazing run leading up to Team USA’s spot in the finals. Least of all, it would be an injury to derail Quincy’s golden dream.

2024 was an incredible year for the sprinter. Breaking 400m records left and right, it was already clear that Wilson had big plans for himself. But disaster struck in the form of an injury when he got word about his place in the national team for the Games. But Quincy pushed through with an iron will and went all the way to the top.

The tough battle Quincy Wilson had to fight in Paris

The Chesapeake native recently talked about how his Olympic campaign was run over various hurdles. Wilson’s hamstring tore almost as soon as he was announced for the Team USA squad. But it wouldn’t make a difference to him. In an interview with Citius Mag on January 8, Wilson was heard saying that he wasn’t ready to let his hamstring injury bog him down. Instead, it only boosted his determination to show his mettle to the world. On being asked how the feeling of having to go toe-to-toe with the world’s best in his condition was, Quincy stated that his injury only provided him with a zeal to prove himself more than anything else.

“If you know me as a competitor, I’m ready to compete against anybody. I was just ready to compete regardless of what the circumstances were…,” he said in the interview. He went on to recall how he was so focused on the task at hand that he didn’t even notice the athletes he was lined up against at the French capital. “I was just ready to compete…. I was just ready to go out there and compete,” Quincy Wilson said about the only thought that was on his mind ahead of the 4x400m relay heat at the 33rd Olympic Games.

However, he also noted that the setback did, in fact, affect his performance. “My performance wasn’t the greatest that I could have given, but things happen, things go different ways,” confessed the high schooler, as he extended his gratitude to his teammates who helped Wilson bag the Olympic gold. “I’m super thankful for my teammates who got the stick around, which got them to the final so that I could get that gold medal.” It’s probably that sort of mental strength that’s made Quincy one of the most sought-after track stars in the world right now.

A champ to the bone

“I didn’t come out there for nothing. I didn’t come out there to watch,” he told NBC recently about how he was reluctant to let his torn hamstring define his Olympic journey. Undoubtedly, the mentality of a true champion, and nowhere was it more evident than at last year’s US Olympic Team Trials. Quincy strolled into Hayward Field and casually kept breaking records in 400m U.S. Trials. In the process, he set a new U18 world record (44.59 seconds in the 400m semis), smashing Darrell Robison‘s previous milestone from 1982.

“I broke it twice in two days!” he said about his titillating sprint at the trials in Eugene. But he wasn’t done just yet. In July 2024, Wilson posted 44.20 in the 400m at the Holloway Pro Classic, which once again set a new U18 world record as well as the national high school record. He let his breakneck speed to the Team USA squad in the heat in Paris but had to give up the baton to his more experienced teammates for the final. And yet, Wilson’s prowess didn’t go unnoticed and he received a hero’s welcome back home.

So what do you foresee in Quincy Wilson’s career? Tell us which college program you think will be the best suited for his track needs in a comment!