Team USA runner Quincy Wilson made history on Friday by becoming the youngest male athlete to compete for the United States.
The 16-year-old athlete, who comes from the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, was the opener of the first heat of the 4×400-meter relay.
And while the teenager underperformed, there is no doubt that Wilson – who is faster than Usain Bolt was at his age – is in Paris on merit.
Wilson set a world record for under-18 athletes at the U.S. Olympic team trials in June, then broke it again a few days later. He ran the 400 meters in 44.66 seconds, then again in 44.59 seconds, breaking the 42-year-old record originally set by Darrell Robinson.
Bolt’s best time in the 400 meters was nearly a second behind Wilson’s last attempt, 45.35 in 2003.
Quincy Wilson made history on Friday when he made his Olympic debut at age 16
And in the 400-meter final at the trials, Wilson finished sixth, behind newly minted gold medalist Quincy Hall.
Even before the Olympics, Wilson had already gained some notoriety, having signed a NIL contract with New Balance while still in high school.
As of Friday evening, he had 257,000 followers on Instagram.
Interestingly, Wilson’s sister is a sprinter for James Madison University, while her niece Shaniya Hall also runs for the University of Oregon, according to NBC News.
Wilson was far from his best performance on Friday at the Stade de France with a time of 47.27, forcing the Americans to a thrilling finish that was closer than expected, but ultimately secured third place and moved on.
Wilson started the race for the United States and did not perform optimally at the Stade de France
He was embraced by some of his competitors after the match, including Trinidad & Tobago’s Jaden Marchan
After the race, several competitors from Trinidad and Tobago were seen offering Wilson words of encouragement.
He admitted afterwards that he was not 100% fit, but thanked his teammates for taking over his duties, while presenter Chris Bailey ran a stage of 44.14 to close out the race.
“I know I wasn’t 100% myself, but my team came out here and did it for me,” Wilson said.
“They got me around the track today. My grit and determination got me around the track. I knew I had three great legs behind me and I know it wasn’t just me today. If it was just me, we would be in last place. But these guys came out and gave it everything they had.”
