Quincy Wilson, in, in many ways, just like other 16-year-olds. He is still getting straight As and doesn’t exactly know when he’ll get his driver’s license though it’s on his list of things to do. Unlike his peers, however, Wilson is out here crushing records on his way to becoming an Olympian.
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Wilson broke his own under-18 world 400-meter record at the Olympic trials on Sunday. He came in third, following Bryce Deadmon (44.44) and Vernon Norwood (44.50). However, his time was still enough to make it to the final.
Two days earlier, Wilson set a record when he won his heat in 44.66. Now, his new best is 44.59 seconds.
“It means a lot to me because it means my hard work has been paying off,” Wilson said on Friday, per USA Today. “I’m just excited for myself.” The men’s 400 final is scheduled for tonight (Monday) and will air on NBC.
“I’m just running for my life out there. The race plan went out the window. I have a lot of things I can do to improve myself,” Wilson stated. “I’m in the world’s biggest final coming up. At 16 years old, I’m ecstatic right now. ...It’s one of the happiest days of my life.”
Wilson, who attends Bullis School in Maryland, is now repped by a big apparel company (New Balance) after signing an NIL deal last year. He’s acutely aware of the pressure that comes with such a tremendous opportunity.
“It’s a different game,” Wilson remarked. “I’m not in high school anymore, I’m running with the big dogs now, so I gotta give it my all.”
If Wilson manages to qualify for Paris, he would become the youngest male member in history to join the American Olympic track team.
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