Paris 2024: 16-year-old phenom Quincy Wilson will make his Olympic debut Friday, coach says

SAINT-DENIS, France — The youngest member of the U.S. Track & Field team hinted Thursday that he will soon make his Olympic debut.

“Tune in Friday Morning @ 5:05 a.m. est,” 16-year-old phenom Quincy Wilson wrote on Instagram, apparently alluding to the start time for the Olympic men’s 4x400-meter relay prelims.

Wilson has been informed that he will lead off for the U.S. relay on Friday morning, his coach Joseph Lee told Yahoo Sports on Thursday, confirming a report from earlier in the day by Chris Chavez of Citius Mag. USA Track & Field does not officially unveil its relay lineups until shortly before the races start.

At 16, Wilson is the world’s 11th-fastest man in the 400 meters this year and the fourth-fastest American. He earned his spot in the American relay pool earlier this summer when he ran three straight sub-45-second times at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Then a few weeks later, he set a new personal best and lowered his Under-18 world record to a blazing 44.20 seconds.

Wilson is already the youngest male ever to make the U.S. Olympic track and field team. He’s about a year younger than middle-distance runner Jim Ryun, who competed in 1964 at 17 years, 137 days old.

U.S. relay coach Mike Marsh chose not to call upon Wilson to run a leg of the mixed 4x400-meter relay last Friday or Saturday. Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little and Kaylyn Brown went on to set a world record in the mixed 4x400-meter relay in the prelims and win a silver medal in the final.

The men’s 4x400-meter relay prelims and final are the last races in which Wilson could participate in these Olympics. Otherwise he would go home without having ever run on Stade de France’s distinctive purple track.