The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature exciting athletes across sports categories. Track and field, an already popular event, is introducing another reason to route for Team USA. Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old track and field athlete, is competing as the youngest U.S. male track Olympian. Sha’Carri Richardson, the current front runner in 100m race, is a strong contender for gold. Richardson came in fourth place in the 200m trails over the weekend.
On a social media post on his Instagram account, the news was shared by TrackWorldNews announcing that Wilson was selected to be on Team USA’s 4x400m relay pool.
“🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨Quincy Wilson has been selected for the 4x400m relay pool and becomes the youngest Olympian on Team USA at 16 years old and 174 day!”
The teenager was selected after his performance at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials over the weekend in Eugene, Oregon, according to USA Today.
Wilson’s coach, Joe Lee, confirmed that he was contacted by USA Track & Field; “The call came directly to me from USA Track & Field,” Lee told the media outlet. “I called Quincy afterwards with the good news.”
On his way to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Wilson broke the under-18 world record on June 29, in the opening round, when he bested the competition with a time of 44.66 seconds. The next day, in the semifinals, he ran a 44.59 solidifying his place on the team. Although he came in fourth in the finals, when he came in at 44.94, he won the 400 by running a personal best of 44.17.
“Three consecutive sub-44s is just amazing,” Wilson said. “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.”
Sha’Carri Richardson will not be competing in the 200m when the games start on July 26. Although she is one of the fastest women in the world, she did not qualify, after
finishing in fourth place behind the winner, Gabby Thomas. She finished at 22.16 seconds, while Thomas clocked in at 21.81. She will be running in the 100m race and is expected to bring home the gold medal.RELATED CONTENT: Frederick Richard Leads USA Men’s Gymnastics To Paris Olympics