Quincy Hall wins the Olympic 400-meter race, bringing gold back to the U.S.

SAINT-DENIS, France — The American runner Quincy Hall won the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics , reestablishing a U.S. claim on the event it once dominated.

Hall seemed slow to start the race, and over the course of the single lap around the track, he labored to catch up — finally overtaking Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith at the finish line.

Hall's mark of 43.4 seconds was a personal best for the 26-year-old runner. It is the fifth-fastest time ever recorded in the event, which is one of the most prestigious at any Olympic Games. Afterward, he removed his shoes and did a victory lap around the Stade de France, an American flag draped over his shoulders.

For decades, the U.S. had dominated the men's 400-meter race, winning seven Olympics in a row from 1984 through 2008. But since then, American runners had struggled in the event, placing third only once.

Hudson-Smith finished in second place, only four one-thousandths of a second behind Hall. Muzala Samukonga of Zambia won bronze.

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