"He would have won the NCAA already anyway" - Justin Gatlin on whether Quincy Wilson should skip college and turn pro

Former American track athlete Justin Gatlin discussed the possibility of Quincy Wilson turning professional before attending college. This follows Wilson's gold medal win as part of the US 4x400m relay team at the 2024 Olympics.

Wilson, 16 is attending high school at the Bullis School in Maryland where he has won numerous competitions for the institution such as the Penn Relays. However, as he approaches the end of his high school career, questions have arisen about the future of his track and field career.

In a recent episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, Gatlin addressed this issue and explored Wilson's prospects of attending college before becoming a pro athlete. The former American track athlete suggested that Wilson should gain experience at all levels of track competitions. He said (at 1:18:53):

"I think he should experience every level a bit of it right maybe a one and done could be in his sights. I mean the time he's ran in this season, he would have won the NCAA already anyway, he has ran fast than any collegiate athlete."

Gatlin further added:

"So what does that look like once you get to college because you know what college is, every year it gonna be somebody new and somebody running fast, it doesn't matter what the event is."

Wilson was recently seen visiting numerous institutions such as the University of Georgia and the Texas A & A&M University. However, the 16-year-old has not announced any commitment to a specific institution.

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Quincy Wilson won the 400m event at the 2024 Halloway Pro Classic

Wilson during a 2024 Buffalo Bills v Baltimore Ravens match (Image via Getty Images)

Quincy Wilson produced an impressive performance in the 400m event of the 2024 Halloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida. The 16-year-old clocked a run time of 44.20 seconds to win the race.

Wilson defeated an elite field consisting of 2020 Olympics gold medalist Bryce Deadmon and 2023 World Championships gold medalist Matthew Boling. Deadmon and Boling finished second and third, respectively, with times of 44.23 and 44.84 seconds.

This performance came just a month after his sixth-placed finish in the 400m finals of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials which earned him a place in the Men's 4x400m relay team of the United States for the 2024 Olympics.