Hall’s Remarkable Comeback in the Men’s 400m Final
In a breathtaking showcase of determination and grit, Quincy Hall authored an unforgettable comeback in the Men’s 400m final at the Olympics in Saint-Denis, France. With his arms pumping and legs churning, Hall appeared to be a distant fourth as the race progressed, his grimace underscoring the intense effort required to bridge the daunting gap to the front-runners.
With just 50 meters remaining, Hall’s sprint seemed to defy the laws of fatigue. He first overtook Kirani James, the former Olympic champion, who was fading fast. Racing forward with relentless vigor, Hall then surpassed Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, making it look as if Richards’ shoes were weighing him down. It seemed almost impossible, but Quincy Hall had only one man left ahead of him – the pre-race favorite, Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain.
“You can’t outrun a dog,” Hall said afterward. “A dog is going to chase you forever.”
Indeed, Hall captured Olympic gold on that exhilarating night, epitomizing resilience and tenacity. Within 10 meters of the finish line, he overtook a shocked Hudson-Smith and leaned into the tape, immediately looking up at the video board to confirm what had just transpired. His winning time of 43.40 seconds was a personal best, and the fourth fastest ever recorded by a man in the 400 meters, surpassing Hudson-Smith by a mere four-hundredths of a second. Five out of the eight finalists clocked under 45 seconds in one of the all-time great races, including Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga, who took bronze with a time of 43.74 seconds – his nation’s second medal ever and first since 1996.
Reflecting on his victory, Hall claimed he knew he would win the moment the race gun was fired, stating, “You can’t get far enough… That’s what I’m known for. If you don’t get far enough away, I’m going to catch you every time.”
Raised in Kansas City by his parents, Milton and Iecia Hall, Quincy honed his running skills across a range of distances – from the 200 to the 1500 meters – sometimes competing in multiple events at a single meet. Moving to California to attend College of the Sequoias presented new challenges, including a lack of housing and cafeteria facilities. Hall juggled two jobs to afford tuition, food, and lodging. Despite these obstacles, he thrived athletically, winning state championships in the 400 meters, 400 hurdles, and the 4×400 relay. His penchant for simultaneous events became a part of his racing identity, often lining up for the 400 hurdles immediately after the 400 meters.
Hall believes these hardships and rigorous experiences shaped him into the resilient athlete he is today. After transferring to South Carolina and winning an NCAA championship in the 400 hurdles, Hall made a pivotal switch two years ago to focus solely on the open 400 meters, describing it as the “best decision of my life.”
Challenges persisted as Hall did not finish his preliminary heat in the 400 hurdles at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and finished fifth at the USA Nationals the following year. Recognizing that his times in the 400 hurdles, though impressive, were not on par with the elites like Rai Benjamin, Karsten Warholms, and Alison Dos Santos, he abandoned hurdles to focus fully on the 400 meters. Since then, Hall has achieved a series of milestones, representing the U.S. at the World Championships in Budapest and capturing bronze. His career-best in the 400 meters improved dramatically, progressing from 44.53 seconds in college to 44.37 last year, and then to an astounding 43.80 just before the Olympics.
Quincy Hall’s Olympic journey is not just a testament to his speed but an embodiment of unwavering perseverance and heart.
