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Youngest American Runner Makes Olympic Debut in Men’s 4x400m Relay

SAINT-DENIS, France – Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old phenom, made his Olympic debut in the men’s 4x400m relay preliminary round at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Wilson, the youngest male track and field athlete to compete for the United States at the Olympics, swayed back and forth in front of his block, taking deep breaths before his leg.

Although Wilson kept pace with his competitors for the first half of his lap, he faded in the final 150 meters, handing over the baton in last place, more than three seconds behind the leaders. His teammates, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, and Christopher Bailey, ran strong legs, securing third place and advancing the U.S. to Saturday’s final.

Wilson admitted he "wasn’t 100% myself" and declined to explain further, but his teammates praised his performance. "I know I had a great three legs behind me," Wilson said. "If it was just myself, we’d be in last place, but these guys came out there and gave it their all."

The 5-foot-9 Wilson is the world’s 11th-fastest man in the 400 meters this year and the fourth-fastest American. He earned his spot in the American relay pool by dominating high school opponents and proving himself against men as much as twice his age.

Wilson’s performance was affected by the long high school season and the uncertainty of whether he would run in Paris. The U.S. coaches didn’t select him to be part of the mixed 4×400-meter relay team last weekend and only informed him on Thursday morning that he’d be running in the men’s 4×400 prelims.

Before the race, Norwood pulled Wilson aside and told him to embrace the moment. "You belong here," Norwood said. "This is the Olympics. Nobody in this world is getting this opportunity, so make the most of it."

Whether Wilson will also run in Saturday’s final is uncertain, as countries often alter their lineups between prelims and finals. Wilson described his overall Olympic experience as "amazing" and hopes that Friday’s race is a learning experience that can benefit him in the future.

"It’s just going to be motivation for me, to come back and give my team a better chance," Wilson said.