The debut of Quincy Wilson at 16 during the 2024 Paris Olympics showed why so many are excited about his future prospects. The runner out of Maryland more than held his own and was able to add something to his resume that no one at his age had been able to before. The emerging star has now become the youngest male track athlete to compete for the United States at the Games.
In what was somewhat unexpected, the teenager got the callup to run a leg in a four-by-100-meter semifinal event. He had the task of setting the pace for the Americans. Meanwhile, at the same time, he was trying to keep pace with Botswana's Letsile Tebogo. Predictably, the 200-meter winner was able to create a cushion for his country as the first leg saw the US in seventh position.
But this is a side aspect. The result of the performance itself may not have ended the way Wilson would have liked. Regardless, he deserves credit for stepping foot on the track, showing he belongs at this level, and looking fairly comfortable, all things considered. Keeping pace with the likes of the gold medal winner proved to be a little much as the current high schooler appeared to run out of gas toward the end, but that would be true of anyone in his position.
This further illustrates a larger point. Two things can be true that appear contradictory at first. On one hand, at the end of the day, it's a competition, and the winner deserves the most credit and praise. Regardless of what's happening outside of the event or what led up to the event, whoever comes in first, whether it be a team or individual sport, proves that they could outlast their opponents under the same conditions and on equal footing for that given event.
However, it's also important to look past the medal count or who had the most what, because nuance and deeper levels of what happened will not always show up when tabulating podium results. Being able to run the first leg and to hand the baton off as Team USA ended up finishing third is invaluable. A lot can happen between now and Los Angeles in 2028, but this is an experience that Quincy Wilson will cherish and can only help to further his career.
Journey of Quincy Wilson to get to this point
For someone showing promise so early, it's good to see that his desire to be great is not only lasting but has been able to be sustained for so long. As a junior champion and high school record setter, a lot of hype has surrounded his young career so far. There may be pressure when the Olympics are held in California in four years, but based on what we've seen from the youngsters so far, he's not likely to let anything get to him.
He knows what it's taken to get to this point. Furthermore, this early success allowed him to be at this stage. He will be eager to improve and to get better. Being able to run in this race shows what's possible and how much room there is for growth. This early success allowed him to be at this stage. And now he has the great reference to be able to compare himself to the best in the world in this sport.
He'll be able to use this experience to learn to adjust how he trains so that by the time he's closer to the average age of the other competitors, he'll be in that much better of a position to potentially have a top-three finish. But regardless of what happens from here, Quincy Wilson deserves tremendous credit for stepping foot and competing in Paris.