Happy Birthday, Quincy Wilson!

The teenage sensation who became famous at just 16 as the youngest American male track athlete at the 2024 Paris Olympics has officially turned 18. And yes, he’s finally ticking off another milestone every teen looks forward to: getting his driver’s license. But there’s so much more to Quincy than fast sprints and milestone birthdays.

Here are five incredible facts that show why he’s already one of the most outstanding young athletes in the world:

1. Pushing through pain at the Paris Olympics

Quincy Wilson became an Olympic gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Games as part of the U.S. men’s 4×400 meter relay squad. He ran in the heats, not the final, but that was enough to earn him a gold when Team USA stormed to victory and broke the Olympic record.

In the heats, Quincy led off the U.S. team and ran a 47.27 in his leg, which was slower than his best earlier in the season. However, the squad still managed to claim the third spot in their heat in 2:59.15, advancing to the final. Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, and Christopher Bailey, his more experienced teammates, then took charge with solid legs to take the U.S. into the medal round.

But here’s the twist many fans didn’t know at first. Just before his Olympic debut, Quincy felt his hamstring tighten during a 200-meter warm-up on the curve. He described that his hamstring “grabbed up” and he felt like his leg “just collapsed… I tried to smile it off, but it hurt so bad,” but he chose to run anyway to help his team.

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That injury likely affected his speed in the relay heat, causing him to run slower than usual. He later explained it: “I had pain, but we had to get it done. I got the baton around, and I was getting treatment every day.”

2. Staying on top of the class

Even after standing on the Olympic podium in Paris, Quincy Wilson went straight back to school at Bullis. Summer reading assignments were waiting for him, and he didn’t get a pass just because he’d won gold. I went home and I did the reading for like two days and mom said,’ Bruh, you think like you’re getting out of it’, like the jokes that were on TikTok and other things were like I had a 600 page book and then a 200 page book that I had to read,” he said.

Academics have always mattered to Wilson. He even finished the first trimester of the fall semester with top marks and made the honor roll. “My first trimester went really good,” he said. “I was on the highest honor roll you can get and got an ‘A’ average throughout the whole semester. I was really just maintaining where I left off before i went to the Olympics … focus on school work and maintaining track. School always comes first so that’s what i’ve really been focusing on.”

Despite being a junior at Bullis School in Maryland (2024-2025), Wilson maintained A-grades with a 4.0 GPA and 93 average test score, demonstrating that even being an Olympic champion, he could still be an ideal student.

3. Taking the lead as coach

Quincy Wilson hasn’t just been breaking records on the track… he’s been sharing what he knows with the next generation of athletes. His first real coaching stint came in fall 2024 at The Armory in New York City, where he worked with young runners at the Nike Track & Field Center in Washington Heights.

He advised on running and being mentally focused, and said, “you never know where they come their background story but I want them to know there are no limits to what they can do.”

Then in fall 2025, Quincy came back to coach at Armory Camp once more, this time with a roster of other top coaches and athletes. For the first time, he was even named as one of the sprint coaches at the camp on November 16, 2025, providing guidance for high school sprinters on drills, strength work, and the basics of running. But of course that’s not all!

On 20 December 2025, Quincy posted a playful Instagram video coaching a nine-month-old named Dylan, joking about sprint starts and the first few steps off the blocks. “When I see great talent, I know I gotta go get them and coach them up…I need you to explode, get off the blocks, first three steps, fast, and make sure we get to the line first,” he said. Serious or playful, Quincy’s passion for mentoring young athletes… regardless of age, is without question.

4. Signing up for Maryland

Quincy Wilson’s college choice was one of the most talked-about topics in track and field last year. After teasing a top five that included Texas A&M, South Carolina, UCLA, USC, and Maryland, he ultimately committed to the University of Maryland’s track and field program.

His decision surprised some fans because those other schools are traditionally track powerhouses, but for Quincy, staying close to home mattered a lot. He grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, attended Bullis School in nearby Potomac, and his family and support network are all in the area. That closeness played a big role in his choice.

The Washington Wizards sent Quincy a custom Maryland jersey, yellow with the number 25, celebrating their newest local recruit. Even before he officially committed, University of Maryland President Dr. Darryll Pines visited Quincy’s home in June 2025.

5. Going from track star to football hero

Undoubtedly, Quincy Wilson shone on the track, but he also made a big impact on the football field in his final season at Bullis School. Joining the team just two weeks before the big game, Wilson stepped in as a wide receiver and safety, helping his teammates gain momentum in the season finale.

In that final game, Bullis stunned Georgetown Prep and earned a share of the IAC (Interscholastic Athletic Conference) championship, finishing the season with a 7‑4 record. Head Coach Skyler Springs posted the photo of Quincy in a Bullis football uniform with the caption, “From Track to Field, ThankQ.” Quincy reshared it with a celebratory note: “Last game ever! Thank the Lord! IAC Champions 🙏.”

Gold medals, honor roll, coaching, and football glory, Quincy Wilson has it all. He is only 18 and is showing that being a champion is not just about being fast on the track but also about heart, hustle, and being a leader to those around him.