This story, originally published at 11:49 a.m. Aug. 9, 2024, was updated at 2:36 p.m. to correct the date of the 4×400 relay final.
Sixteen-year-old Quincy Wilson, a rising junior at Bullis School in Potomac, advanced Friday to the Olympic final when the U.S. men’s 4×400 relay team finished in third place in the preliminary round.
The U.S. men’s relay team’s finish advanced the runners to the relay final at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. The final is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
With his appearance, Wilson made history as he became the youngest man to compete in track for the United States at the Olympics. Wlson claimed the title from Arthur Newton, a 17-year-old who ran the steeplechase in 1900, according to The Washington Post.
Wilson ran the opening leg in the first round of the race, putting the team in seventh when he handed off the baton, according to published reports. His teammates, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Chris Bailey, made up ground to finish in third place.
According to ESPN, Wilson said he wasn’t himself on Friday but would use the race as motivation.
“They got me around the track,” Wilson said, referring to his teammates, according to ESPN. “My grit and determination got me around the track.”
In June, Wilson fell short by tenths of a second to become the youngest male member to compete as an individual with the U.S. Olympic track team at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.