Quincy Wilson could not qualify for Paris Olympics in 400 meters

Eugene, Ore. – Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old who has become a fan favorite at Tracktown, USA, finished sixth in the men’s 400-meter final on Monday night at Hayward Field, just missing qualification in the event. 2024 olympic games.

Another Quincy, Quincy Hall, won the event, running a personal best of 44.17. Favorite Michael Norman finished second in 44.41. Chris Bailey finished just a hair behind Norman in a personal best 44.42.

Wilson, a sprinting sensation from the Washington, D.C. area, broke the under-18 world record Friday by blazing around the track in 44.66 in the first round of the 400. The high school record he broke stood for 42 years. Then on Sunday, in the semi-finals, he achieved the top position with a timing of 44.59 and qualified for the finals.

Wilson was attempting to become the youngest male to make the U.S. Olympic track team. Despite Monday’s results, the teen saw the glass as more than half full.

“Three sub-44s in a row is amazing,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “I just know that I gave my all, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 years old.”

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There is a possibility that Wilson could be added to the 4×400 relay pool for Team USA. He joked that “you never know (what to expect with USATF),” pointing out that “this is all new to me.”

“They can take 100, 200, 800. They can take whoever they want,” Wilson said. “As far as I know they could make long jumps.”

To be safe, he won’t hang up his spikes for the summer just yet.

“I don’t know if my season is over yet, I don’t want to eat ice cream that early,” said Wilson, who loves cookies and cream. “I might get that call and have to regroup. I’ll just keep my head down and pray and hope I can make the team.”

Despite racing against competitors twice his age (and size) and not yet having a driver’s license, Wilson has put the track world on notice. He received praise from Snoop Dogg and Deion Sanders on social media. Norman called the teenager’s performance “fantastic” after the semi-final.

“A 16-year-old boy coming out here, competing like a true competitor, not letting the moment get too big but living in the moment,” Norman said of Wilson after Sunday’s semifinal. Is.” “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.”

After the semifinal, Wilson joked that he was “just running for my life out there.” After the final he said that he did not perform as well as he had hoped, but still reflected on his experience.

“I wasn’t even thinking about making it to America’s biggest final,” Wilson said. “I am very grateful.”

‘I’m really here’

High school track events at the Olympic Track and Field Trials are rare, but not entirely unheard of: In 2016, 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin-Levron finished third in the 400 hurdles and qualified for the Rio Games, becoming the youngest Became an athlete. Make Team USA’s Olympic Roster at 36. (McLaughlin-Levron is favored to win the 400 hurdles this weekend). McLaughlin-Levron was the youngest athlete to make Team USA’s Olympic track roster in 36 years.

The last high schooler to make the men’s Olympic team was Arion Knighton, who shot 200 at the Tokyo Games at age 17. He finished fourth there, but won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships.

Eight years ago, Wilson was 8 years old and competing in the Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas. Amazed by watching professional runners on TV, he asked his mother, “How can I be like that?”

Wilson finished fourth at that meet, running the under-8 400 in 1:06.44. His mother told him that if he worked hard, played hard and allowed himself to live in the moment, “you’ll be that same kid one day.”

When Wilson was introduced on Monday, the Hayward Field crowd of more than 12,000 roared for him, prompting him to say, “I got a lot of excitement. Even though I was in Lane 2, the fans made me forget about it.” But forced.”

After crossing the finish line, small children gathered for his autograph. That moment was not lost on him.

“When I was signing someone’s shirt today, I thought, ‘I’m really here,'” he said. “this is madness.”

And this is probably just the beginning.

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @lindsay_schnell