Quincy Wilson Publicly Heckled at New Balance Meet Amid Gabby Thomas-Like Backlash

Something was off at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia on June 21. Quincy Wilson, the 17-year-old sprint sensation, was back on the track to defend his 400m national title—all focused and ready. However, on the race day, something unexpected happened. As the cameras caught Wilson turning sharply toward the stands, his eyes fixed on someone in the distance. It had the makings of a déjà vu moment—something similar to what Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Thomas experienced three weeks earlier in Philadelphia. So, what exactly unfolded that day?

On June 2, Gabby Thomas took to X to share a troubling experience—she said a man had followed her around the track and hurled personal insults at her while she was signing autographs for fans. In a follow-up post, she noted, “Honestly the heckling is tolerable, it’s following me around the stadium that’s wild,” and criticized those supporting him online, calling it “gross.” The man later responded to Thomas’s earlier posts by sharing a video of himself heckling her at the starting line of the 100m race. That day, Thomas ended up finishing fourth, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden taking the win. It was later revealed that this man, known for posting sports betting content on YouTube, claimed her loss earned him money and even shared screenshots of his winning bets after backing Jefferson-Wooden.

“I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win,” the man boasted. But in a twist of events, reports now say he’s been banned from the FanDuel Sportsbook platform. Fast forward to Saturday—a similar incident nearly unfolded with Quincy Wilson. Just as the young Olympian was preparing for his 400m race, someone in the crowd shouted at him. But instead of letting it rattle him, the 17-year-old turned and locked eyes with the heckler, delivering what many described as an intense glare. Milesplit’s Instagram dubbed it the “Death Stare.” Their post featured a striking caption in bold: “He’s done with the trolls.”  And what exactly did the trolls do on Saturday? 

In the background of the viral clip, a voice can be heard shouting, “Andrew wins!”— right at Quincy. This was a clear nod to Andrew Salvodon, the standout from Bayside High School. But this wasn’t just random name-dropping. Salvodon has become one of Quincy Wilson’s fiercest rivals in recent times. Their clash at the VA Showcase was particularly unforgettable—Salvodon stormed to a U.S. high school national record with a time of 1:00.49, leaving Quincy trailing in second at 1:02.49. It was one of Quincy’s first major meets after the Paris Olympic season, and it served as a wake-up call.

And Salvodon hasn’t slowed down since. Earlier this month, the South Carolina commit clocked 46.51 to set a new meet record at the Class 5 state championships. So, when someone shouted his name just before Quincy’s 400m race on Saturday, the intent seemed obvious—to throw him off his game, just like what happened to Gabby Thomas weeks earlier.

But the Bullis High School attendee wasn’t having it. He nipped the issue in the bud and earned his sixth national championship title on Saturday, while Salvodon came fourth (46.47). And yes, it was the teenage wonder’s sixth national title in the 400m. 

Quincy Wilson lets his performance do the talking 

On Saturday, Franklin Field roared to life as Quincy Wilson delivered yet another electrifying performance—this time blazing through the 400m at New Balance Nationals to claim his sixth career national title, crossing the line in a sizzling 45.37 seconds and leaving the field trailing nearly a full second behind. But here’s the kicker—this was already Quincy’s fourth national title of the year.

Rewind to March, and the teenage phenom was already making waves indoors. Competing in three national indoor championships, Quincy’s dominance was impossible to ignore. In just one action-packed week, he bagged titles in both the boys’ 400m short track and the 4x400m relay short track, showing off not just speed but tactical finesse. He clocked 45.71 seconds in the individual 400m, and then came back with a 45.94-second split in the relay, fueling the Bullis High School boys to a national record of 3:09.44. And he wasn’t done. In the 4x200m short track, Quincy and his teammates crossed the finish in 1:24.66, adding another national crown to his name.

One thing is clear here, Quincy Wilson is not just the future of American sprinting, he’s already rewriting the present.