Quincy Wilson, 16, was just fractions of a second from becoming the youngest U.S. track Olympian ever
If Wilson grabs a top-three spot, he’ll become the youngest athlete to ever make the U.S. Olympic track and field team.
EUGENE, Ore. — Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old from Bullis School outside Washington D.C., finished sixth with a time of 44.94 in Monday’s 400-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
Quincy Hall clocked in at 44:17 to take the top spot, and Michael Norman (44:41) and Chris Bailey (44:42) also claimed places on the team headed to Paris.
Though Wilson failed to make the team as an individual runner — and become the youngest male ever to do so — he will have a chance to be part of the U.S. 4x400 relay team.
Quincy Hall competes in the men's 400-meter final in Eugene, Ore., on Monday.Patrick Smith / Getty ImagesThe result does not take away from an incredible weekend for the high schooler after he set — and then bested — the world record for under-18 runners that stood for 42 years.
“I’ve never been this happy a day in my life when it comes to track,” Wilson said after he ran a 44.59 in the semifinals. “I’ve been working for this moment. That record I broke two days ago, that’s 42 years of nobody being able to break that record. I broke it twice in two days. It means a lot to me, because it means the hard work is paying off.”
Rating: 5