Editor’s note: This article, which was originally published June 25 at 9:13 a.m., was updated June 25 at 10:33 to clarify how Wilson may still be able to make it to the Paris Olympics.
Bullis School student Quincy Wilson fell short by mere tenths of a second Monday night in his bid to become the youngest male member ever to compete as an individual with the U.S. Olympic track team.
The 16-year-old’s time of 44.94 left him in sixth place in a field of eight runners in the 400-meter men’s final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
The winner, Quincy Hall, finished with a time of 44:17, the fastest time posted by an American this year, according to NBC broadcasters. Michael Norman, in second place, and Chris Bailey, in third, will head to the Paris Olympics this summer.
Wearing a blue uniform with “Bullis” emblazoned in white across his chest and a gold chain around his neck, Wilson ran the race on an inside lane under sunny skies.
The rising high school junior still has a chance to make the team, though, as part of the 4X400 relay team, according to published reports. A decision for that will be made by July 7, according to The Washington Post.
Wilson’s quest to become an Olympian has been followed closely by local fans and those at Bullis, a private school serving kindergarten through 12th grade in Potomac.
“LET’S GO, QUINCY!! We’re behind you! Let’s go Bulldogs!” the school posted Monday on its website and Facebook page, noting the teen’s triumphs that led to his participation in Monday night’s race.
“In his first-round heat, Quincy set the U18 world record for the 400M with a blazing time of 44.66 seconds. He followed up that performance with an even faster time of 44.59 seconds on Sunday to earn a spot in the finals tonight,” the post said.