16-year-old Quincy Wilson made it to the men’s 400m final at the Olympic Trials

EUGENE – 16-year-old Quincy Wilson is competing in the Olympics against people almost twice his age. However, the huge difference in age and experience doesn’t seem to worry him.

Wilson broke his own under-18 400-meter world record on Sunday in the semifinals, crossing the finish line in 44.59 seconds. On Friday, he set a record by winning his elimination with a time of 44.66.

“It means a lot to me because it means my hard work paid off,” Wilson said after breaking his own record, which he set earlier on Friday. “I’m excited about myself.”

Wilson, who attends Bullis School in Maryland, finished behind Bryce Deadmon (44.44) and Vernon Norwood (44.50), but his time was good enough to advance to the finals.

No wonder Wilson gained the admiration of his competitors.

“It’s spectacular. The 16-year-old comes out here and competes like a real competitor, not letting the moment get too much, but living in the moment,” said Olympic gold medalist Michael Norman, who also advanced to the final. “It’s great to see young talents like him raising the bar and pushing us to run faster and step out of our comfort zone. I think he has a bright future ahead of him.”

Wilson sounded confident in an interview after completing the final semi-final series and securing his place in the final.

“Today I just came out here and gave it my all. I knew the last 100 races were going to be difficult,” Wilson told NBC. “I compete with them. I’m just grateful to be in this moment.”

The men’s 400-meter final will take place on Monday at 9:59 p.m. EST on NBC.

“I’m just running for my life. The race plan went out the window. (Monday) There are a lot of things I can do to get better,” Wilson said. “The biggest final in the world is coming up (Monday). I’m 16 and I’m thrilled now. …This is one of the happiest days of my life.”

Could Wilson make the Olympic team?

Norman, who competed in his first trials at the age of 18, seemed a bit skeptical that the 16-year-old would earn a spot on the Olympic 400-meter team.

Asked if he viewed Wilson as a contender, Norman answered bluntly.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “There are people fighting for money now. He made it to the finals. Very difficult to say. This is probably his first appearance in three rounds. I remember (my first attempt), running three rounds of the 200, I was cooked.

But he wasn’t ready to write Wilson off completely.

“Kids are different now, so it’s definitely possible,” Norman said. “He could definitely sneak into the relay spot.”

High school track and field phenomena are rare in Olympic track and field competition, but they are not entirely unheard of: In 2016, 16-year-old Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished third in the 400-meter hurdles and qualified for the Rio Games. In Rio, she did not make it to the finals. (McLaughlin-Levrone is the favorite in the 400 hurdles later this week). McLaughlin-Levrone was the youngest athlete to make Team USA’s Olympic roster in 36 years.

Erriyon Knighton, one of the top 200 runners in the world, made the Tokyo squad as a high school student, finishing fourth in Japan. Knighton won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and entered the 200 just this week.

If Wilson qualified for Paris, he would be the youngest man ever on the U.S. track and field team at the Olympics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Olympic track trials: 16-year-old qualifies for men’s 400m final