SAINT-DENIS, France — For the first time since the spotlight began shining on the prodigy at Maryland’s Bullis School, Quincy Wilson wasn’t smiling. The infectious charm that made him so beloved over the past few months was replaced by a solemn expression.
Wilson ran the first leg of the men’s 4x400m relay for the United States in the early session on Friday. He set the tone, running a lap of 47.27 seconds. He finished seventh in the eight-man event. And the kid wasn’t happy about it.
Three weeks ago, Wilson, who was a sensation at the U.S. Olympic Trials, set a personal best of 44.20 seconds in the 400 meters at the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida. He didn’t come close to that mark at the Stade de France.
“It was really great,” Wilson said, his million-watt smile noticeably absent. “I had a great team that was on my side the whole time. I wasn’t 100 percent myself, but the team came out here and did it for me.”
When asked about context that wasn’t 100% his own, he politely declined to answer. No excuses.
But he doesn’t need it. Wilson may be the only one disappointed.
The U.S. recovered and made it to the final round. There was no damage. The U.S. can still be crowned champion in Saturday’s final.
Wilson will probably be replaced in the final round. That was certainly always the plan, as the U.S. has an elite option in the single-lap event.
Quincy Hall just won gold in the men’s 400m. If he’s healthy and has legs, it’s a near certainty. So is Ray Benjamin, who will be looking for gold in the men’s 400m hurdles in the final race Friday night. Benjamin is a relay legend, having won Olympic gold (Tokyo) and two World Championship gold medals in the 4x400m relay.
“Tomorrow will be better,” said relay teammate Vernon Norwood. “I guarantee it.”
Wilson’s importance was greater in his presence than in his time. He made history as the youngest man to represent the United States in the Olympics.
Norwood said he was so absorbed in the moment watching the 16-year-old make Olympic history that he had to refocus for the handoff.
16-year-old Quincy Wilson makes his Olympic debut, becoming the youngest male track and field athlete to compete for the United States in the Olympics. 🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/XJ4HudX0Dx
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
“I’m so proud of him for coming out here and showing his courage for us and for the United States,” Norwood said. “It’s really incredible. I told him before we left, ‘Hey, take it. You belong here. It’s a privilege. Nobody in the world gets this opportunity, so take advantage of it.’”
Moreover, with these Paris Olympics, USA Track and Field has regained its leadership, and Wilson is one of the bright prospects for the future of American track and field.
Clearly, he entered this relay team because of that reality. The coaches decided to develop Wilson and give him valuable experience ahead of Los Angeles 2028, rather than rewarding other runners who are having their best years. Wilson is being trained to be a successful Olympian.
“Absolutely!” said women’s hurdler Masai Russell, another Bullies alumnus and close friend of Wilson, when asked if she was proud of Wilson. “When he was really sad that he didn’t make the (4x400m mixed) relay, I said, ‘You’re 16. You can run your life and hope that people are in your shoes. … There are people who run track their whole life and never make the team. … And I’m glad he got a chance to run in that atmosphere, to feel that atmosphere. It’s pretty intense. So I know when he comes back it’s going to be a whole different story.”
Wilson didn’t want to hear that in the immediacy of 47.27.
And perhaps that is the best thing that came out of his Olympic debut. The young man was not content to just be here. If he needed more motivation, he got it by being humble on the Olympic stage.
“He’s a competitor,” Russell said. “Guys are competitive in general, but he’s very competitive. When we played (air) hockey together, I was like, ‘Oh. … He doesn’t play any games. ‘ … I lost by five points.”
With his family in the stands and the world watching from Maryland, you can tell Wilson was determined to do something special in his first Olympics. He watched everyone else compete and make history, and he waited for his chance to do the same. He seems to do that every time he steps onto the track. He has already set three under-18 records this season.
After 16-year-old Quincy Wilson made American track and field history, his competitors showed him some love after the race. ❤️ #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/lXfg0jJYnd
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
But for the first time since the name Quincy Wilson became known to the big sports world, he looked like a 16-year-old boy competing on a track against grown men.
He came out of the blocks in lane 4 and held his ground for the first 200m, but he seemed to be trying too hard, perhaps driven by the adrenaline and excitement of making his debut on the biggest stage of his life.
The youngster started to die on the second turn and struggled on the backstretch. The strength and experience he still needed was evident as he finished sixth heading into the final stretch. Fatigue was playing havoc with his form as Poland’s 20-year-old Maksymilian Szwed easily overtook Wilson. The only runner to finish worse in the heat was Trinidad and Tobago’s Renny Quow.
To make matters worse, Botswana switched and sent in new 200m champion Resil Tebogo in the first leg. He ran so fast that he set the field on fire, giving his country the lead and increasing the pace in the process.
But Wilson gave it his all. Exhausted and undoubtedly bewildered, he almost came to a complete halt before he could hand over the baton.
Fortunately, America had adult men behind Wilson. And there was a crowd cheering him on.
“They got me on track today,” he said. “My grit and determination got me on track. I knew I had three great legs behind me, and I knew I wasn’t on my own today. If it was just me, we’d be in last place.”
Norwood immediately made up ground with a monstrous second leg, and gradually got faster, pulling the American up against the rest of the pack. His 43.54 was the fastest time of any leg in Round 1, edging out Britain’s star quarter-miler Matthew Hudson-Smith, who ran 43.87. They were the only two men to not break 44 seconds.
Then Bryce Deadmon took over from Norwood and lifted America two spots into fourth after the first turn. Deadmon posted the fastest third leg, knocking America out of third place. Anchor Christopher Bailey still has work to do.
“It just motivates me,” Quincy Wilson said of her Olympic debut. “To give the team a better chance than today.” (Hannah Peters / Getty Images)
With the US back in the race and Botswana well ahead, Bailey was initially patient. Then, with about 150m to go, he persevered and overtook Japan for third place, giving the US an automatic qualification into the final round.
“That was the plan,” Norwood said. “We put him in front. We didn’t want to give him too much responsibility. So it was my job to pick up as much as I could.”
Wilson had to do something special to stay in the final. The frustration of not getting close was intense. The Olympic debut was a couple of seconds longer, but it was over too quickly.
One day, he will benefit from the lessons he learned at the Stade de France on Friday. He will see this experience as essential for the Olympic athlete he is becoming. He may even win a medal, as not only the four who make it to the final but also the qualifiers will be rewarded.
But at that moment, Wilson seemed more angry than grateful. The inner self that led him to this great stage would not allow him to put his performance aside so easily. That is why it felt like he was locked in to go up on this stage again.
“It just motivates me,” Wilson said, adding, “to give the team a better chance than today.”
Go deeper
For teenage track and field prodigy Quincy Wilson, everything changed — Olympics or not.
(Quincy Wilson running the 4x400m relay on Friday, top photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
