Quincy Wilson is poised to make history as the youngest male to compete for the U.S. track team in the men’s 4×400 meter relay on Friday at the Paris Olympics. At just 16 years old, Wilson’s participation would mark a significant milestone in American track and field history.
Wilson announced his upcoming race on his Instagram page, posting a picture of himself with the reminder to “tune in at 5:05 a.m. Friday morning” (U.S. East Coast) for the men’s relay.
During the Olympic trials earlier this summer, Wilson broke the under-18 world record twice with impressive times of 44.66 and 44.59, securing his spot in the final of the 400 meters. Although he finished sixth in that event, his performances earned him a place in the U.S. relay pool for the Olympics.
“I’m 16 years old running grown-man times,” the Maryland native proudly stated at the trials.
According to Olympic historian Bill Mallon, the youngest U.S. male in Olympic track history is Arthur Newton, who ran the steeplechase in 1904 at age 17. Jim Ryun was also 17 when he qualified for his first Olympics in 1964, and Erriyon Knighton was 17 when he competed in Tokyo three years ago.
