Nico Young

While Nico Young didn’t medal in his Olympic debut, the out track star still raced his way into the record books.

With a blistering time of 26 minutes, 58 seconds, Young would’ve set the Olympic record in the 10,000-meter at any other prior Games. Yet, he finished 12th in the race. Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda captured gold with a time of 26:43.11.

Silver went to Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia with a time of 26:43.44 and the bronze to American Grant Fisher with a time of 26.43.46. Fisher’s bronze was the first medal for Team USA in the event since 2012.

With Young turning 22 just before the start of the Games, the future for USA track and field looks bright. He was the youngest American to compete in the 10,000-meter in 20 years.

It’s apparent the California native soaked up his first taste of Olympic glory.

“Olympic Debut!!! 12th in the world and under the Olympic record,” Young posted on Instagram, to the tune of nearly 18,300 likes. “This race was an incredible experience and also incredibly tough, proud to be competing this far into my season. So ready for a break and some rest. Excited to use this global experience in the future and begin this next year as a pro!”

An elite distance runner, Young qualified for the Olympics when he finished third in the men’s 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. He wrote down his name on a replica of the Eiffel Tour at midfield, savoring the moment.

“I mean, it is amazing,” he said on NBC. “Yeah, just I feel like this is where I kind of saw my season going and to execute it today is like surreal.”

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Young finished his college career with a bang, winning two NCAA Division 1 National Championships for Northern Arizona University. Back in January, he set the NCAA record in the 5,000-meter with a time of 12:57.17. He’s the only college runner in history to break the 13-minute threshold.

A couple of months later, Young followed up his triumph with two wins at the NCAA Division 1 National Championships in Boston. In the 5,000-meter, Young ran his final quarter in just 54.3 seconds. It was his first NCAA title.

As an encore performance, Young dominated the 3,000-meter the next day, winning the race in record time. It’s fair to say he enjoyed a senior season for the ages!

The 3,000 and 5,000-meter are two of the most grueling races in track and field, along with the 10,000-meter, which Young ran in Paris. The 10,000-meter requires runners to race around the track 25 times.

For the bulk of the race, Young ran with the front of the pack.

The first out gay man on the U.S. Olympic track team, Young is one of the most accomplished queer athletes today. And he’s proud of it.

When Young publicly came out in 2022, he said he wanted to be visible. “Anyone who tells you that being gay is a choice is wrong,” he wrote in his coming out post. “I am living proof that it is not a choice, it is something I have always known and been aware of, but have kept silent out of fear of rejection. I have struggled to accept myself, but I am becoming more proud and happy with who I am.”

Like other out college sports stars, Young took full advantage of the NCAA’s new rules governing name, image and likeness (NIL). He enjoys a partnership with Adidas, one of the elite athletic brands in the world.

With his pro career ahead of him, Young promises to keep racing for gold. He may not be part of Team LGBTQ’s medal count this Olympics, but that’s likely to change going forward.

He’s already in the Olympic record books.

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