Teenage sprinting sensation Quincy Wilson is set to become the youngest ever US male track Olympian after the 16-year-old announced he had reportedly been picked in the 4x400 meter relay roster for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Sharing the news on his Instagram on Sunday, Wilson wrote: “WE GOING TO THE OLYMPICS,” while also sharing multiple posts reporting that he’d made the team.
Wilson’s coach Joe Lee also confirmed the news to both the Washington Post and USA Today.
“The call came directly to me from USA Track & Field,” Lee told USA Today. “I called Quincy afterwards with the good news.”
USA Track & Field declined to confirm the news to CNN, saying that the full team roster – including the relay pool – will be officially announced on July 8.
Wilson’s selection comes after a brilliant debut at the US Olympic Trials last week, where he twice broke a 400m world record.
Despite failing to qualify for the 400m, finishing sixth in the final, Wilson still ran an under-18 world record of 44.59 seconds in the semifinals on Sunday, two days after he initially broke the record with a time of 44.66.
“I don’t know if my season is over yet, I don’t want to go eat ice cream too soon,” Wilson said after the 400m race, before discovering he had made the relay pool.
Born in 2008, Wilson has quickly established himself as one of the most promising rising stars in track and field.
The sprinter seems to break a record whenever he runs and now looks set for a chance to prove himself on the world stage.
RELATED | IU Indy swimmer first in school's history to compete at U.S Olympic trials
