Winning at the Olympics shows that you are the best in that given activity, at least for the next four years. For athletes like Quincy Hall, the path toward standing on top of the podium can often take a dramatic and unexpected turn. This is what makes the 400-meter run that took place in Paris so encapsulating. In competition, the winner is who has the most number of points or who finishes with the highest score at the end.
It isn't always fair, and the most talented or even the most deserving team/athlete can easily return home empty-handed. But that's not what gold signifies. Instead, what it means is that within as even a playing field as possible for that particular tournament or on that particular day, the winner is the best in the world at what they do.
Everyone competing has stories of overcoming, and everyone at the start of the event is world-class. But hearing your country's national anthem signifies that when it counted most, you proved to be the best among those competing and striving for that singular ultimate goal.
Looking back on the race, Hall had no business at even hoping to medal. But what happened on the final stretch of the race is footage that will be shown in film rooms all across the country. The mantras 'it isn't over till it's over' or 'you don't stop competing till the final whistle' were on full display.
Most significantly, the former South Carolina Gamecock visibly had something come over himself. Most likely, if you ask him to describe what happened, he wouldn't even be able to tell you. All that's known is that in a 'now or never' moment, viewers can see exactly when he found a second burst and when he decided that the race was going to be won by him that day.
Ultimate competitor in Quincy Hall on full display
Criticism against anyone else who steps foot on the track. Again, everyone deserves credit for even making it this far. But when someone shows that they're willing to do that extra little bit either in the form of prep or otherwise, it deserves recognition.
All athletes, from junior youth levels to the Olympians themselves, work hard to a certain degree. The difference is consistent intensity and being able to push through mentally just at the right critical moments.
Therefore, when Olympic followers witnessed his overtaking of everyone else and how he put to rest any doubt, it's safe to say, yes, Quincy Hall is the best 400-meter track athlete in the world. This is a title that he will hold forever from the year 2024. But more importantly, it's a story that deserves to stay in the public spotlight for more reasons than someone simply adding to a nation's medal count.