EUGENE – At 16 years old, Quincy Wilson is racing against adults nearly twice her age at the Olympic trials. But the huge difference in age and experience does not bother them.
Wilson broke her own under-18 world 400m record by crossing the line in a personal best time of 44.59 seconds in the semi-finals on Sunday. On Friday, he created a record by winning his heat in 44.66.
“It means a lot to me because it means my hard work is paying off,” Wilson said after breaking his own record on Friday. “I’m just excited for myself.”
Wilson, who attends Bullis School in Maryland, finished behind Bryce Dedmon (44.44) and Vernon Norwood (44.50), but his time was good enough to advance to the finals.
Not surprisingly, Wilson has earned the praise of his competitors.
Olympic gold medalist Michael Norman, who also reached the final, said, “It’s fantastic. A 16-year-old player coming here, competing like a true competitor, not letting the moment get too big for him.” “But living in the moment.” “It’s great to see young talents like him step up and inspire us to run a little faster, and push us out of our comfort zone. I think he has a bright future.”
Wilson sounded confident in his interview after the final semi-final heat was completed and his place in the final was secured.
Wilson told NBC, “I came here today, gave everything I had. I knew the last 100 were going to be tough. I’m competing with them. I’m just trying to stay present in the moment.” Grateful for.”
The men’s 400 final is Monday night at 9:59 pm ET on NBC.
“I am running there to save my life. The race plan was shelved. (Monday) I’ve got a lot of things I can do to better myself,” Wilson said. “I’ve got the biggest final in the world coming up (Monday). At 16, I’m very happy right now. …This is one of the happiest days of my life.”
Olympic hopeful doesn’t have a driver’s license yet
In some ways, Wilson is like his fellow competitors: After signing a zero-deal deal last September, he has been rehired by a major apparel company (New Balance).
In other ways, he is extremely different. For example, he tends to be straight-laced… because he’s still training full-time along with school. Also worth noting: He doesn’t have a driver’s license yet, and isn’t sure when he’ll get one. She doesn’t have time to study or practice driving, much less try to make the Olympic team.
Wilson is coached at Bullis by Joe Lee, a former youth pastor who has been at the private school in Potomac, Maryland, for 11 years. Before Wilson, Lee coached Wilson’s cousin, Shania Hall, a sprinter who starred the past four years at college track powerhouse Oregon, where she helped the Ducks to two Pac-12 relay championships. Was.
After his explosive opening round on Friday, Wilson was asked if he had backed off thinking it was just the heat. He smiled.
“It’s a different game,” he said. “I’m not in high school anymore, I’m running with the big dogs now, so I have to give it my all.”
He dismissed concerns over whether he would make a full recovery.
“I know my training and coaching,” he said. “They put me in the right position.”
This also applies to the mental side. When asked what his nervousness was on a scale of 1-10 after his first race, he dropped his megawatt smile again before announcing, “Probably like a 2.”
“I’m just racing against bigger guys,” Wilson said, pointing to the physical stature and brand names of both of his competitors. “But to me, everyone puts on their spikes the same way I do, and I train just as hard as they do.”
He made it clear that he was not here just to enjoy the experience. He wants to win.
Can Wilson make the Olympic team?
Norman, who competed in his first trials at age 18, seemed somewhat skeptical that the 16-year-old would claim a spot on the Olympic team in the 400.
Asked if he sees Wilson as a contender, Norman was blunt.
“It’s hard,” he said. “Right now there are people fighting for money. He made it to the finals. It is very difficult to say. This is probably his first time running three rounds. I remember (my first trial), after running three rounds in the 200, I was cooked.
But he was not ready to dismiss Wilson completely.
“The kids are different now, so it’s definitely possible,” Norman said. “He can definitely slide into that relay spot for sure.”
High school track events are rare at the Olympic track and field trials, but not entirely unheard of: In 2016, 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin-Levron finished third in the 400 hurdles, qualifying for the Rio Games. She could not make it to the finals in Rio. (McLaughlin-Levron is favored to win the 400 hurdles this weekend). McLaughlin-Levron was the youngest athlete to make Team USA’s Olympic roster in 36 years.
Arion Knighton, one of the top 200 runners in the world, made the Tokyo roster as a high school junior and finished fourth in Japan. Knighton won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. He entered the 200 this weekend.
If Wilson qualifies for Paris, he will be the youngest male member of the U.S. Olympic track team.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragone on X @thetylerdragon,
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @lindsay_schnell
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
