"I can't go back and be disappointed because at the end of the day, I'm 16 running grown man times."
Quincy Wilson, The Bullis School
Quincy Wilson made history this week!
The 16-year old who just completed the 10th grade and made the academic honor roll at the Bullis School, ran "grown man times," this week at the US Olympic Trials.
He produced results of 44.59, 44.69, and 44.94 this week alone; that's three of the all-time top-five fastest 400m in history, all in one week. In the process, he has taken records from the likes of Obea Moore, Justin Robinson, as well as the 42-year old record of 44.69 from Darrell Robinson.
It's been an amazing season for Wilson that began during the indoor season in December 2023 and finally ended last night June 24, 2004.
Or did it?
Wilson placed sixth in the 400m finals. While that wasn't one of the three qualifying positions, it was one of the positions the USATF considers for the 4x400 relay pool.
Wilson could get the call to grab his passport, pack his bags, and fly out to the 2024 Paris Olympics for relay duty.
How likely is it? Well, that is unknown at this point, but Wilson will be ready.
He shared that he has decided not to call the season quits just yet. He plans to be prepared just in case he gets the call to run on the relay.
While hopeful, Wilson isn't delusional. Even though he made the quota to be on the team, the call still might not come. Despite running fast times, he is just in high school and that fact might play against him.
The USATF relay decisions are always made with other individual qualifiers that competed in other events as possible participants for the relays.
The three quarter milers who made the team in the 400m should be expected to be members on the relay team along with the fourth, fifth, and sixth place finishers at the trials.
There is always a possibility of injury and there is also the rest factor. If the individual qualifiers make it to the 400m finals, that would mean they'd have three rounds of running on their legs and a reprieve of running in the preliminary round of the relay would benefit them.
That opens the door for the other Team USA members from other events for relay duties. For example, the 400-meter hurdles will give Team USA three potential legs. There is also the potential of the 100m or 200m qualifiers who can run legs on the relay.
It has happened in the past, most recently at the World Indoor Championships with Noah Lyles who has already announced his desire to compete on the 4x400 relay.
While Lyles and other 100m or 200m qualifiers could have three or more rounds in each individual event and the possibility of the 4x100 relay, Wilson knows it is still a possibility.
"They can take somebody from the 200m, so you don't really know when it comes to the USATF. I'm just going to keep my head, keep praying on it, and keep thinking that I hope I make the team because you never know what can happen."
It remains to be seen whether or not the USATF would want to trust Olympic relay responsibilities to a high schooler.
However, Wilson has proven that he isn't your typical high school student-athlete. Not only is he is the best ever, but he is one of the best runners in the best country that produces 400m runners.
Wilson proved he had the composure to compete individually with the way he handled himself, the competition, and the Olympic Trials level along with everything that comes with it.
If he were to make the Olympic team and compete, it is possible he will not have to compete against one person as fast as the runners he just competed against in the Trials.
In case anyone is wondering if Wilson can handle relay adversity, I have two words . . . Penn Relays.
