16-year-old Quincy Wilson set to become youngest American male Olympic track athlete after being named in the 4x400m relay pool for Paris Olympics

16-year-old Marylander Quincy Wilson will become the youngest U.S. male track Olympian in history when he competes in the 4x400m relay on August 2nd at the Paris Olympics. Wilson had finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, and after clouds of uncertainty, his participation in the relay event has been confirmed.

Wilson took the world on notice during the U.S. Olympic Trials after breaking a 42-year-old 400m U18 world record in the opening round. He ran a remarkable 44.66s to qualify for the semifinals, and a day later, he broke that mark as well to inch closer to the Paris Olympics 2024.

Wilson ran 44.59s in the 400m semifinals to advance to the finals. The 16-year-old impressed once again in the finals but fell short of making the 400m team for the upcoming Olympics. He clocked 44.94s in the finals for sixth place, keeping his chances of representing the USA at the Paris Olympics 2024 intact.

The USATF selects athletes for relay events, and according to Quincy Wilson's coach, Joe Lee, Wilson has received confirmation from the federation regarding his participation. Here's what Lee told USA Today in an interview:

"The call came directly to me from USA Track & Field. I called Quincy afterwards with the good news."

In another interview with ESPN, Lee claimed that he was told to keep Wilson 'ready to run any leg at any time' at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Quincy Wilson, 16 years and 174 days old, will become the youngest-ever male American track athlete to represent the USA at the Olympic Games. He will be surpassing Jim Ryun and Erriyon Knighton, both of whom were 17 when they competed at the quadrenniel event. Wilson will be seen in action on August 2nd in round 1 of the 4x400m relay, and if the USA qualifies, they will race in pursuit of gold on August 3.

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“I'm 16 running grown man times”- Quincy Wilson was proud of himself despite finishing 6th at the Olympic Trials

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Quincy Wilson(L)

A sixth-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials doesn't mean much unless it's by a 16-year-old high-schooler. Quincy Wilson was competing against men almost double his age in the 400m finals, and while his 44.94s finish wasn't enough to place him in the top three, he wasn't disappointed.

“Three consecutive sub-44s is just amazing. All I know is I gave it everything I had, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 running grown man times", he told reporters after the finals. (via USA Today)

The 16-year-old later claimed that he didn't execute as well as he had hoped for in the 400m finals but was grateful for his experience nonetheless, referring to it as one of the 'biggest finals in America'.