SAINT-DENIS, France — The American runner Quincy Hall clinched the men’s 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, reaffirming the U.S.’s long-standing dominance in this track event.
In a nail-biting comeback at the Stade de France, Hall’s victory seemed unlikely for much of the race. Initially, he lagged in sixth place during the first 200 meters, making fans question if a win was possible.
With just 100 meters remaining, Hall surged from fourth place to overtake Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith right before the finish line.
“I don’t give up, man. I just grit. I grind. I got determination. Anything I can think of that’s gonna get me to that line, I think of it,” Hall said.
Hall emphasized that it wasn’t a slow start that held him back, but rather the fierce pace set by his competitors — particularly Hudson-Smith, who won silver, and Zambia’s bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga.
“I knew these guys were gonna get out and they were gonna come for blood early. They were going to go out and try to see who they could throw off the race,” Hall explained.
In a previous World Championship, Hudson-Smith had bested Hall. “I knew that the last 50 was going to determine who wins the Olympics,” Hudson-Smith said post-race. “He got that one step on me in the last 50, and that’s all she wrote.”
The top three times in the final are now the fastest this year and are among the seven fastest times ever recorded at an Olympics.
“Quincy’s one hell of an athlete,” Hudson-Smith remarked. “I’ve been saying all year, ‘If you’re going to win, you’ve got to take it from me,’ and that’s exactly what he did.”
