Quincy Wilson, a 16 year-old rising junior at the Bullis School in Potomac, will make history on Friday as the youngest American male ever to run on the US Olympics track team. Here’s what you need to know about him and how to watch him fly:
Wilson already broke a record when he was tapped to join the Paris relay pool, becoming the youngest male runner to earn a spot on the US Olympics team. But up until now, it wasn’t clear whether he’d actually have the chance to compete. He was passed over for the 4x400m mixed relay, and had been waiting for word about the men’s 4x400m relay.
Then yesterday, he found out: he’d be in the race. Wilson will start Friday’s semifinal race, which takes place at 5:05 AM ET. It will air on NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC, and GOLF Channel, according to USA Today. You can also stream the race on NBC and Peacock, and if 5:05 AM is a bit too early to wake up–even for a local prodigy–you can watch videos of the race on those platforms later.
As mentioned, Wilson is no stranger to breaking records. He came into the spotlight with a stellar high school track season, and he keeps breaking his own 400m dash under-18 world record, which currently stands at 44.20 seconds. He also holds the under-18 500m world record, at 1:01.27. And at age 14, he’d already won five national AAU Junior Olympic Games titles.
The men’s 4x400m relay finals will take place on Saturday at 3 PM ET, but Wilson’s performance in the prelims will likely determine whether he’s asked to run in those races.
