Michael Johnson is super impressed by Quincy Wilson's performance [Image Source: Getty]

"GOD DAMN! This kid is impressive!"- Michael Johnson expresses admiration for Quincy Wilson as he breaks the U18 400m world record for the third time

Modified Jul 20, 2024 09:32 GMT

Quincy Wilson recently broke the U18 World Record for the third time, which compelled former world record holder, Michael Johnson, to openly appreciate Wilson's achievements. The young sprinter had broken the Under 18 world record twice at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials a couple of months ago.

Quincy Wilson's performance left the former world record in Men's 400 m completely stunned. Wilson recorded a timing of 44.2 seconds at the recently concluded Mike Holloway Pro Classic. Sharing a snippet of Wilson's performance, Michael Johnson wrote on his X account,

"Okay, I haven't commented on this kid. Because typically it leads to predictions of his future, and people don't understand it's more complex than simply "so fast so young = really fast older" it's not that simple. But now I must speak. GOD DAMN!! This kid is impressive!"

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In less than two months, the 16-year-old sprinter, who is currently studying at the University of Florida, has stunned almost everyone with his performance. He broke the Under 18 World record twice at the U.S. Olympic Trials, with timings of 44.66 and 44.59 seconds respectively.

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Even though Quincy Wilson couldn't qualify individually, his performance was enough to get him a place in the 4x400m relay team, making him the youngest American track and field athlete to qualify for the Olympics.

Michael Johnson's cautious optimism about Team USA ahead of Paris Olympics

Michael Johnson [Extreme Left] during a press conference [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source: Getty]

Michael Johnson once held the records for both the men's 200 m and the 400 m events. Despite the promise shown by many American athletes, he is cautiously optimistic about the team's chances ahead of the Paris Olympics. In May 2024, during an interview with NBCUniversal, Michael Johnson talked about USA's chances:

"I think just like with lots of other things, the world has caught up to us. And I think that's okay. I think it's fine that you see a country like Jamaica, who, you know, just has really dominated the sprints," he said.

However, he refused to rule out chances for the U.S. track and field team altogether. Acknowledging the 'dynamic improvement' in some of the athletes, particularly Noah Lyles, Johnson said,

"The thing about Noah is he's a great personality, but that's on top of the fact that he's just a phenomenal athlete....He's not afraid to put it out there and say, 'This is the shot I'm going to go for, and I'm going to accomplish it. I'm going to win it.' And he goes out, and he backs that up, and he does it. And that's rare,"

Johnson is also hopeful of a strong performance from Sha'Carri Richardson, who is representing the USA in women's 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay. Michael Johnson wants Richardson to develop a unique consistency, which would make her near invincible.