At just 16 years old, Quincy Wilson stepped onto the Olympic stage in Paris and made history as the youngest male track athlete ever to represent Team USA. On August 9, 2024, he led off the men’s 4×400 m relay, clocking a 47.27-second split and handing off in seventh place. It wasn’t his sharpest run, but the grit was unmistakable. “I wasn’t 100% myself, but my team came out here and did it for me,” he said after the race. Among his teammates that day was someone he would go on to outrun in spectacular fashion. Curious who it was? Let’s rewind and see how the tables turned…

After Quincy Wilson’s opening leg left Team USA in 7th, Vernon Norwood pulled them up to 6th before handing off to Bryce Deadmon. Deadmon surged with a powerful 44.20s split, overtaking Zambia and Germany to push the team into 4th. Deadmon brought with him experience from the Tokyo Olympics, where he helped the U.S. win gold in the men’s 4×400 m relay with a blistering 2:55.70 finish and teaming up in the inaugural mixed 4×400 m relay to secure bronze. But what will happen if you put Quincy Wilson and Bryce Deadmon against each other? The question was answered today in a race that had the fans saying, “He’s the greatest prospect we’ve ever seen” to Quincy. This is what went down…

This week, on July 11-12, The Ed Murphey Classic returned to Memphis on July 11–12, 2025, drawing top athletes to the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex for the Continental Tour Silver meet. Wilson ran in one of the three professional-category men’s 400 m heats Saturday afternoon—the final round for pros that day. “I went out there and shot out like a bullet, ” this is what Quincy Wilson had to say of his race. The 17-year-old took his mark in lane number 5, and as soon as the bullet crackled through the silence, the audience and spectators witnessed the speed demon Wilson is. The Olympian easily went past his opponents, with the only competition coming from Bryce Deadmon in the final stretch. “He’s coming on a home stretch with Bryce Deadmon. We’ll see if he can hold him off. Wilson and Deadmon digging for the line,” announced the commentator.

The very next moment, he was screaming as he said, “The 17-year-old Quincy Wilson holds Deadmon off and Quincy Wilson’s the winner! 44-14 unofficially. He breaks his own world U18 record.” In 2024, Quincy Wilson broke the U-18 400 m world record three times: 44.66s at the U.S. Olympic Trials heats, 44.59s in the semifinals, and 44.20s at the Holloway Pro Classic. Now he did it again.

His 44.10s doesn’t just top the U18 all-time list—it now leads the world outdoor U18 seasonal rankings by a significant margin. For context, the senior men’s world record remains Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.03s from Rio 2016. And on the world U20 all-time leaderboard, Quincy now sits second only to Steve Lewis’s 43.87s from Seoul 1988.

Track and field community pays their respect to Quincy Wilson

Who is Quincy Wilson? If you ever find yourself answering this question, answer it as “the track and field athlete who turned his critics into fans.” Look at this comment from a track enthusiast, “I’m not saying sh– about his running style ever again..lol” Fans and analysts have highlighted that Quincy’s arm swing is low and outward, deviating from the typical tight, upright style seen in elite 400m runners. Michael Johnson pointed out that such mechanics could lead to premature fatigue, especially as he competes in longer or more frequent races. 

Another fan said, “Genuinely unfathomable to think that a 17 year old is running 44.10 let alone a sub 45“. A name that would come to mind is Justin Robinson. At just 17, Robinson set the 17‑year‑old/Under‑18 world record with a stunning 44.84, and went on to run 44.91 not long after. But then again, Quincy broke this record at just 16 with his 44.66s in the heat at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the age of 16. UNREAL! The next goal for him might be dropping a sub-44; the fans are already manifesting.

One said, “This is one of the greatest performances in T&F history. He’s on course to break 44 at 17!! 🫡 👏🏾🔥🫡,” Another commented, “He almost dropped sub-44 and he ain’t graduate HS yet. Yeah bruh the truth.” Speaking of HS, still just a high school junior at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, Wilson is set to graduate in 2026. And now, college programs across the country are lining up. The big question: where will he go next?