Round of 16: Quincy Wilson heads to Paris as youngest U.S. track and field Olympian ever

EUGENE, Ore. — Quincy Wilson will likely have to wait until he takes his driving test.

It might be a bit busy this summer getting ready for that.

Wilson, the 16-year-old phenomenon who captivated fans during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, will head to Paris as part of Team USA’s 4×400-meter relay, his coach confirmed to Yahoo Sports early Monday morning. Police High coach Joe Lee said he “received a phone call from the U.S. Olympic coaching staff sharing the news” as soon as the trials ended Sunday night.

When USA Track and Field officially unveils its Olympic roster next week, Wilson will become the youngest man ever to join the U.S. Olympic track and field team. He’s nearly a year younger than middle-distance runner Jim Ryun, who competed in 1964 at 17 years, 137 days.

Wilson earned his place in the relay group by finishing sixth in the 400m final last Monday, capping an amazing weekend in which he ran three consecutive times in a single lap around Hayward Field in less than 45 seconds.

In his Olympic Trials debut, Wilson broke the 42-year-old’s under-18 world record when he won the men’s 400 meters in 44.66 seconds. That record stood for two days before Wilson lowered it again in the 400m semifinals, with a time of 44.59 seconds.

Although the fairytale ending would have been Wilson finishing in the top three in the 400m final, his time of 44.94 seconds was still impressive. He chased down three of America’s fastest 400-meter runners in the final stretch of the race, not a bad accomplishment for a kid who just finished his sophomore year in high school.

The hype surrounding Wilson reached its peak after those performances. Deion Sanders congratulated him on the X. So did Michael Johnson. Magic Johnson Wilson called To join him in the Washington Commanders game booth.

Now Wilson will gain the experience of going to Paris as well, which will prepare him for a long career in athletics. Last September, when he was just 15, Wilson signed a NIL deal with New Balance. In April, he signed with WME Sports, the same agency that represents Sidney McLaughlin-Levrone.