Quincy Wilson, 16-Year-Old Track And Field Phenom, Narrowly Misses Qualifying For Paris Olympics But Breaks 42-Year Record

Quincy Wilson, a viral, 16-year-old track phenom from outside Washington D.C. , nearly qualified for the Paris Olympics . He came in sixth with a time of 44.94 during the 400-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 24.

“Three consecutive sub-44s is just amazing,” he said, according to USA Today . “All I know is I gave it everything I had, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 running grown man times.”

Wilson broke a significant record during the Trials. On June 21, he ran a time of 44.59 in the semifinals — setting a new world record for under-18 runners that had been in place for 42 years.

“I’ve never been this happy a day in my life when it comes to track,” Wilson said, according to NBC News . “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.”

The 16-year-old could still be picked for the 4×400 relay.

“You never know (what to expect) with USATF,”’ he told USA Today, adding that “this is all new to me.”

On June 24, Quincy Hall took the first spot with a time of 44:17, ahead of Michael Norman at 44:41 and Chris Bailey at 44:42. Norman gave Wilson some words of encouragement and congratulated him on his achievement.

“A 16-year-old is going out here competing like a true competitor,” Norman said. “He’s not letting the moment get too big. He’s living in the moment and competing, so it’s great to see young talents like himself elevate, push us to run a little bit faster and take us out of our comfort zone. He has a bright future in front of him as long as he stays grounded and focused.”