Coming around the last turn of the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Quincy Hall of the United States wasn't in position to medal.
Trailing Matthew Hudson-Smith (Great Britain), Muzala Samukonga (Zambia) and Jareem Richards (Trinidad and Tobago), Hall needed a miraculous kick in the final stretch to claim a spot on the podium—much less win the gold medal. He somehow found it, passing all three runners in the final few strides and finishing the one-lap race in 43.40 seconds to claim his first career gold.
Shortly after the race, Hall's triumphant comeback began to sink in among those watching from home. Screenshots of where he was positioned in the race before his heroic kick flooded the internet. It is the perfect way to put his incomprehensible final stretch into perspective:
Quincy Hall won this race pic.twitter.com/aCmFdyil80
— Oluwajomiloju (@JomiAdeniran) August 7, 2024
NEVER doubt Quincy Hall. 😱
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024
A EPIC comeback to win 400m GOLD! #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/qQJqfxrH9n
“As long as I can start the race, I know I can finish. You can’t outrun a dog," Hall told reporters after winning the gold medal. "A dog will chase you forever.”
His kick to win gold isn't exactly what track and field coaches preach as the best way to run the 400-meter run, but it was enough Wednesday to secure a place on the podium and in Team USA immortality.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Photo of Quincy Hall Lagging Behind Perfectly Highlights Wild Kick to Win Gold.
