Quincy Hall wins gold in 400m thriller to fulfill own prediction
What a way to make your debut in an Olympic final.
On Wednesday 7 August, cheered on by a capacity crowd the the Stade de France, Team USA’s Quincy Hall raced to a brilliant gold medal in the Paris 2024 men’s 400m to the surprise of many — but not his own.
"I told you guys I was going to get a gold medal this year and I guess I just showed you I did it," an ecstatic Hall said after the race, "I know I can win. I knew it today. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career."
The US star posted a time of 43.40 to claim the Olympic title ahead of Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, who won silver in 43.44 and Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga who won bronze in 43.74.
Hall had entered these Olympics as the US trials winner and ranked number one in the world. However, the fastest time of the year belonged to Britain's Hudson-Smith with a resurgent London 2012 gold medallist Kirani James of Grenada the second-fastest man on the start line.
Yet if there's anything that's become clear during this rollercoaster of a ride of an athletics competition at Paris 2024, it's that past times — and reputations — mean little in the pressure cooker of an Olympic final.
Courage, determination and the ability to fly when others falter can take you all the way to Olympic gold. Hall demonstrated all of those qualities in abundance.
"I don’t give up," Hall continued. "I just grit, I grind. I’ve got determination. Anything I think will get me to that line, I think of it. A lot of hurt, a lot of pain.
"I just won. It’s over. For the next four years, I can say I’m an Olympic champion."
After a clean start, Hudson-Smith had caught and passed Hall by around the 200m mark and looked like he was on his way to gold as he bounded confidently into the final straight.
However, against the backdrop of gasps from the crowd, the 27-year-old Hall somehow found the strength to fight back. As his British rival faded, the new Olympic champion pounced on his opportunity, passing the line first to win a thrilling Olympic medal race.
It says much about the quality of this final that the third and fourth-placed finishers, Sumukonga and Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards both set new national records, while Hudson-Smith broke the European record en route to silver.
For Hall, this was the fastest time he had ever recorded and a testament to just how good he needed to be to earn the title of Olympic champion.
Mixed feelings for Hudson-Smith as Sumukonga becomes first Zambian to medal since 1996
Hudson-Smith left everything on the track in his quest for the Olympic title and spoke after the race about the bitter-sweet feeling of winning Olympic silver but falling just short of gold.
“It means the world to represent my country and my club, and everyone around me," he said. "I was so close to getting the gold. I got an area record and PB [personal best], it was my fastest time.
“I can’t describe the feelings, they are so mixed. I feel grateful.”
He later spoke about the fierceness of the challenge posed by Hall who showed the ability to mount an incredible, against-the-odds comeback to secure his spot on the top of the Olympic podium.
"I lost to the better man on the day; Quincy is a hell of an athlete," Hudson-Smith conceded. "This is gonna be the start of a lot of battles. We'll keep going."
For third-place finisher Sumukonga, this bronze medal represented a historic moment for his nation as he became the first Zambian to win an Olympic medal since Atlanta1996.
"Being the first Zambian to win at this Games, my first Olympics and after 28 years [since a Zambian athlete medalled]? I am proud," he said.
"I wasn't there when Samuel Matete won his medal but I said I'll be the next one, the next king. My life changed after I won the (2022) Commonwealth Games. Now I think it will change double. It will change my life, my entire life."
This will not just be a life-changing experience for Sumukonga, it will also be a transformative moment for Hall as he prepares to begin his four-year reign as Olympic champion.
Paris 2024 athletics: Men’s 400m podium
Gold: Quincy Hall (USA)
Silver: Matthew Hudson-Smith (Great Britain)
Bronze: Muzala Samukonga (Zambia)
Discover the full results on Olympics.com.