Quincy Wilson has claimed that he received a message from NFL legend Ray Lewis following his record-breaking performances at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials. Lewis played his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens, which is Wilson's favorite team. Moreover, the two-time Super Bowl winner is his favorite athlete.
Wilson made headlines after breaking the US high school 400m record at the New Balance Nationals in 45.76s. This performance not only bested his personal best from March but also saw him make a huge improvement, shaving over a second in less than three months.
The 16-year-old broke the 400m U18 record in the 400m heats at the U.S. Track and Field Trials. Wilson broke the 42-year-old mark of Darrel Robinson in 44.66s, and a day later, he lowered the record to 44.59s in the semifinals. He fell a little short in the finals, clocking 44.94s to finish sixth.
While he didn't make the 400m USA Team for the Paris Olympics this time, Quincy Wilson earned praise from the whole sporting world. From Tyreek Hill to Deion Sanders, the 16-year-old impressed everyone, including his hero, Ray Lewis. Speaking with FloTrack in an interview, Wilson claimed that he had received a text from the Baltimore Ravens’ legend,.
“I got a text this morning, you know, when I was like 8-7 years old, my favorite team was Baltimore Ravens. I looked at my phone this morning, and I got a friend request from Ray Lewis, and he sent me a message, ‘Keep going your thing and I'm always rooting for you’," Wilson said.
Wilson added that Lewis had been his ‘dream person’ and it was truly a fulfilling moment to see receive an acknowledgement from the legend. Although the 16-year-old won't be competing in the 400m at the Paris Olympics 2024, he does still have a chance to qualify in another event. But as the 16-year-old himself says, ‘you never know what to expect with USATF’.
“At the end of the day, I'm 16 running grown man times”- Quincy Wilson after finishing 6th in the 400m finals
Quincy Wilson indeed was running grown man times among grown men. Michael Norman, who finished 2nd in 44.41s, is double the age of the 26-year-old. Wilson gave it all in the heats and semis, but fell short in the finals. However, he is focused on the half-full glass rather than the half-empty one.
“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 race with a wide smile on his face, as it usually was throughout the trials. (via USA Today)
Wilson could have become the youngest male to make the Olympic team if he finished inside the top 3. He does stand an outside chance to make it to the 4x400m relay team but it all depends on USATF.