What better venue for a Sweet 16 than Paris?
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games officially get underway on Friday, and as is usually the case for the Olympics, some of the world’s best athletes are the ones who aren’t allowed to legally drink or vote just yet.
That much is true for track and field athlete Quincy Wilson and gymnast Hezly Rivera, who head to Paris to try and secure some hardware for the Stars and Stripes. Not only are the two athletes immensely talented, but they’re both just 16 years old.
On Thursday, they struck a pose for cameras ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday, an image that could potentially be a lasting one for years to come.
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Wilson is already in the history books ahead of the games: At 16, he becomes the youngest American male track and field athlete in history, as he was added to the men’s 4×400 relay pool. In June, he also set the U18 record in the outdoor 400-meter dash, posting a 44.20.
Rivera, a New Jersey native, turned 16 on June 4 and joins the women’s gymnastics squad which features Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey. Team USA gymnastics is looking for their first gold medal since 2016, a team which also featured Biles.
This is all to say, the future is bright for Team USA Olympians – beginning on Friday, it also might be golden.