Quincy Wilson gets a humbling taste of the Olympics, but it’s just the beginning

SAINT-DENIS, France — For the first time since the spotlight began shining on the Bullis School phenomenon in Maryland, Quincy Wilson wasn’t smiling. The infectious charm that made him so popular in recent months was replaced by a stern face.

Wilson ran the first leg for the U.S. in the first round of the men’s 4×400 relay in Friday’s early session. Responsible for setting the tone, he completed his lap in 47.27 seconds – seventh in the eight-man field. And the child was not happy about that.

Three weeks ago, after becoming a sensation at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Wilson set a new personal record by running the 400 meters in 44.20 seconds at the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida. He didn’t come close to that at the Stade de France.

“It was amazing,” Wilson said, his million-watt smile noticeably absent. “I was there with a great team that was on my side the whole time. I wasn’t 100 percent myself, but a team came here and did it for me.”

When asked about the context of him not being 100 percent himself, he politely declined to answer. No excuses.

But he doesn’t need one. Wilson may be the only one disappointed.

The Americans recovered and qualified for the final round. No damage was done. The US can repeat as champions in the final on Saturday.

Wilson will most likely be replaced for the final round. That was certainly always the plan, as the United States has elite options in the single-round discipline.

Quincy Hall just won the gold medal in the men’s 400 meters. If he’s healthy and has the legs, he’s a virtual lock. The same applies to Rai Benjamin, who will go for gold in the men’s 400 meter hurdles in Friday evening’s final. Benjamin is a relay legend who has won Olympic gold (Tokyo) and two World Cup golds in the 4×400 relay.

“Tomorrow will be better,” said relay teammate Vernon Norwood. “I guarantee it.”

Wilson’s significance had so much less to do with his time and so much more to do with his presence. He made history by becoming the youngest man to compete for America in the Olympic Games.

Norwood said he was so caught up in the moment watching this 16-year-old make Olympic history that he had to put himself back into focus for the handover.

16-year-old Quincy Wilson makes his Olympic debut and becomes the youngest male track and field athlete to compete for the United States at the Olympics. 🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics

📺 USA network and peacock pic.twitter.com/XJ4HudX0Dx

— NBC Olympic and Paralympic Games (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024

“I’m super proud of him for coming out here and showing his grit for us and for the United States,” Norwood said. He added: “It’s amazing. I told him before we walked out. I said, ‘Hey, embrace it. You belong here. This is a privilege. No one in the world will get this opportunity, so make the most of it.’”

Furthermore, these Paris Games have seen USA Track and Field regain its dominance, and Wilson is one of the big prospects for the country’s bright future in the sport.

Obviously, he was put on this relay team because of that reality. The coaches opted to build up Wilson and give him valuable experience ahead of Los Angeles 2028, rather than reward another runner whose best days are behind him. Wilson is being groomed to become a successful Olympian.

“Absolute!” women’s hurdler Masai Russell – who also attended Bullis and is close to Wilson – said when asked if she was proud of him. “When he was super sad about not making the (4×400 mixed) relay, I thought, ‘You know, you’re 16. People would die if they were in your shoes. … Some people who run all their lives never make the team. … And I’m glad he got the chance to run, so he could experience the atmosphere of this atmosphere. Because it’s pretty intense. So I know when he comes back it will be a completely different story.”

Wilson tried not to hear any of that in the immediate vicinity of 47.27.

And perhaps that is the best thing to come out of his Olympic debut. The young fellow was not reassured just by being here. If he needed any more motivation, he got it by being humiliated on the Olympic podium.

“He’s a competitor,” Russell said. “Men in general are just competitive. But he is super competitive. Like we were playing (air) hockey together, and I was like, ‘Oh. … He doesn’t play games.” … I lost by about five.”

You just know that Wilson — with his entire family in the crowd and his entire world in Maryland watching — had plans to do something special in his first-ever Olympic appearance. He has watched everyone else compete, make history, waiting for a chance to do it himself. He seems to do that every time he steps on the court. He has already set three under-18 records this season.

After making American track and field history, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson’s competitors showed him love after the race. ❤️ #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/lXfg0jJYnd

— NBC Olympic and Paralympic Games (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024

But for the first time since the larger sports world learned the name Quincy Wilson, he looked like a 16-year-old on the track running against grown men.

He shot out of the blocks in lane 4 and held his ground for the first 200 meters. But it seemed like he was going too fast, perhaps controlled by the adrenaline and excitement of a debut on the biggest stage of his life.

The youngster started to fade in the second turn and struggled over the back. The strength and experience he still needs became clear when he entered the final stretch in sixth position. Fatigue took hold when 20-year-old Maksymilian Szwed of Poland easily passed Wilson. The only runner with a worse time in the heat was Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago.

To make matters worse, Botswana made a switch and put Letsile Tebogo, the new 200 meter champion, in the first leg. He ran at lightning speed, smoking the field to give his country the lead and picking up the pace in the process.

However, Wilson gave it everything he had. Exhausted and no doubt embarrassed, he almost came to a complete stop before handing over the baton.

Fortunately for the US, Wilson had some grown men behind him. And a crowd marched for him.

“They took me around the track today,” he said. “My perseverance and determination got me to the track. I knew I had three great legs behind me, and I knew it wasn’t just me today. If I had been alone, we would have been in last place.”

Norwood immediately made up ground with a monstrous second stage, gradually gaining speed and putting America ahead of the rest of the pack. His 43.54 seconds was the fastest of any stage on the first lap, leaving him behind British star quarter-miler Matthew Hudson-Smith, who ran 43.87. They were the only two under 44 seconds.

Bryce Deadmon then took over from Norwood and America rose two places to fourth after the first corner. Deadmon set the fastest third leg and kept the US close behind in third place. Anchor Christopher Bailey still had work to do.

With America back in the mix and Botswana well ahead, Bailey was initially patient. Then, with about 150 meters to go, he turned on the engine and passed Japan to secure third place and America’s automatic qualifier on the final lap.

“That was the plan,” Norwood said. “We put him up front. We didn’t want to give him too much responsibility. So it was my job to collect as much as possible.”

Wilson’s best hope of making the finals was to do something special. His frustration at not getting close was deep-seated. His Olympic debut about two to three seconds too long and yet over so quickly.

One day he will benefit from the lessons he learned at the Stade de France on Friday. He will see this experience as an integral part of the Olympian he becomes. He may even win a medal, because the forerunners are also rewarded, and not just the four in the final.

But at the time, Wilson seemed more angry than appreciative. What is inside him, what has brought him to this big stage, means that he cannot put his performance aside so easily. That explains why he wants to be on this stage again.

“It’ll just be motivation for me,” Wilson said, “to give my team a better chance than what they had today.”

GO DEEPER

For Quincy Wilson, a teenage talent on the athletics track, everything is different now: Olympic Games or not

(Top photo of Quincy Wilson during Friday’s 4×400 meter relay: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)