Whether you’ve been following his spectacular rise or are just getting started, Quincy Wilson is a spark that will capture the attention of anybody interested in sports.
In early 2024, the Maryland-based sprinter set a junior world record in the indoor 400m, adding to his already impressive resume. Last month, he ran 45.76 seconds at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston, which would have placed him fourth at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships for seniors.
According to the Olympic website, the 16-year-old was unexpectedly named to Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Wilson finished sixth in the 400m final with a time of 44.94, trailing Quincy Hall. Wilson, who was not picked as an individual sprinter, has the potential to become the youngest male U.S. track Olympian by joining the 4x400m relay team.
Wilson, a student at Bullis School in the Washington, DC suburbs, made news with his indoor 400m record and is still breaking new ground in a variety of ways at the age of 16. Wilson ran 45.19 in the 400m at the Florida Relays on March 29, the fastest time in the US this year and the sixth-fastest internationally in 2024.
This effort immediately qualifies him for the United States Olympic Team Trials, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon, in late June. The high schooler had an outstanding weekend at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, finishing three 400m events in sub 45 seconds.
In the semi-finals, he ran 44.59 seconds, breaking the 42-year-old under-18 world record. Wilson, who will be 16 years and 200 days old at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, will be the youngest track and field Olympian from the United States. He exceeded Arthur Newton’s record of 17 years and 165 days.
Following Wilson’s stunning performance in Boston, reigning sprint king Noah Lyles, the world champion in both the 100m and 200m, tweeted a video of Wilson’s race, declaring, “He is HIM!”
Wilson aspires to join Lyles on the track this summer and expressed his confidence in achieving this goal during an interview with Citius Magazine in Boston.
“I’ve looked up to [Lyles and Fred Kerley] for a long time,” Wilson said after his record-breaking performance. “But now I think it’s my turn. I hope I can make the [Olympic relay] team.”
Last September, the youthful speedster piqued the interest of big athletic brands and signed a name, image, and likeness contract with New Balance, making him one of the youngest high school athletes to do so.
Wilson has joined the ranks of New Balance athletes including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Coco Gauff. In 2023, as a freshman, he took a portrait with McLaughlin-Levrone at the New Balance Indoors.
Wilson has a significant digital presence. The 16-year-old has over 40,000 Instagram followers and has started a YouTube channel where he vlogs from his meetings, giving fans behind-the-scenes looks at practice, life off the track, and his NIL visit to New Balance.
Off the track, he enjoys playing Fortnite, drinking lemonade, eating sweets, and joking around with colleagues. For Wilson and his budding career, this is only the beginning.
“We’ve gotta keep grinding,” he said.