In addition to being the youngest U.S. male track Olympian, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson will take home a gold medal from the 2024 Olympics Games even though he did not run in the men’s 4×400 relay final Saturday in Paris.
Wilson, a rising junior at Potomac’s Bullis School, watched from the stands as his teammates brought home the gold—the third straight Olympic gold medal for the U.S. team in the 4×400-meter relay.
Wilson earned the medal by running the opening leg for the U.S. team in the first round of the race, putting the team in seventh place when he handed off the baton. His teammates–Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Chris Bailey–made up ground to finish in third place, sending the team to the relay final.
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.
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.