Saint-Denis (France), Aug 9 (AP) American teenage sprinter Quincy Wilson's first run at the Olympics on Friday was a learning lesson.

The 16-year-old, who became the youngest American male to compete in track at the Olympics, left the US in a distant seventh place after his opening lap in the first round of the 4x400 relay.

Also Read | Who Is Chou Tzuyu? The Taiwanese-Born K-Pop Star From TWICE Whose Archery Video Went Viral Amid Paris Olympics 2024 - Here's How the Netizens Reacted.

The Americans, normally dominant in this event, needed a rally from Christopher Bailey on the final lap simply to qualify for the final. The team finished third in a time of two minutes and 59.15 seconds.

There was a nearly 3-second gap between Wilson and Letsile Tebogo, the 200-meter champion from Botswana who was a last-minute replacement. Wilson was picked up by veteran teammates Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Bailey.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Congratulates Neeraj Chopra Over Phone Call After He Wins Silver Medal at Paris Olympics 2024, Says 'Even Late at Night at 1 AM, People Were Watching You in Action' (Watch Video).

It's been quite a summer for Wilson, who already has a name, image and likeness deal with New Balance and put off getting his driver's license so he could run in Paris.

He twice broke the under-18 400-meter world record at the US Olympic trials in June with times of 44.66 and 44.59. His opening leg on Friday was listed at 47.27.

With his performance Friday, Wilson became the youngest American male to compete at the Olympics in track.

According to Olympic historian Bill Mallon, he surpassed Arthur Newton, a steeplechase runner from 1904 who competed at 17.

Other young runners to compete at the Summer Games include Jim Ryun, who was 17 when he qualified for his first Olympics in 1964, and Erriyon Knighton, who made it to Tokyo three years ago when he was 17.

From a military family, his parents decided to move to Maryland so he could attend Bullis high school, which is known for producing elite athletes

In the women's 4x400 relay, the team of Quanera Hayes, Shamier Little, Aaliyah Butler and Kaylyn Brown won their heat by more than three seconds over Britain. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)