Quincy Hall reveals how he beat Matthew Hudson-Smith in the 400m final at Paris 2024 Olympics

Quincy Hall has explained his dramatic 400m victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics after he overtook Matthew Hudson-Smith in the final metres.

Olympic 400m champion Quincy Hall has revealed how he came from behind to claim gold at the Paris Games in August.

With a dramatic comeback in the final 100m, Hall outpaced the competition to win the men’s 400m gold in 43.40 sec. Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith took silver in 43.44 sec and Muzala Samukonga of Zambia took bronze in 43.74 sec.

Quincy Hall’s sprint is the fourth fastest in the history of the event and the third fastest by an American.

“The interesting thing is the way I train. Every race you see, I come back at the end”, said Quincy Hall.

Unlike traditional 400-meter specialists who charge from the start, Quincy Hall admitted that he is stronger in the second half of the race, relying on the strength he has built through training more suited to middle distances.

“I’m not a good starter. I’m more of an 800-meter runner, even a 1,500-meter runner. So I have a lot of strength at the end of the race”, said he.

It was this strategy that won him Olympic gold. In a final where others rushed through the first 100m, posting times of 20.4 sec and 20.6 sec, he maintained his composure.

“I just stayed myself. I felt like I was doing what I do in training and I brought it to the track—and that’s what got me the Olympic gold medal”, added also Quincy Hall.

He approach to the race is both down-to-earth and focused. The lane layout? The noise? The tension? None of that deters him.

“I’m a hard worker. From the track to my animals to just about everything in life, I work hard. The only thing I can control is me. I can’t control lane seven, lane six—any lane, I can only control that lane”, said Quincy Hall.

That tenacity didn’t start with sprinting—it was instilled long before that, on his late Uncle Tony’s 100-acre ranch.

“We used to go out there. To eat, we had to fish or mow the lawn”, said Quincy Hall. “When he saw that I was dedicated to the job, he gave me a horse. I’ve just loved horses ever since”, added he.

Although college meant putting that love on hold, it didn’t take long for him to return to it once he turned pro.

“As soon as I turned pro, I went to get my horses and stuff back. I grew up around horses and just hard work. I love good horses”, said Quincy Hall.