By BRENT STUBBS 

Chief Sports Editor 

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PARIS, France — Wanya McCoy admitted that the 2024 Olympic Games has taught him a lot about being competitive in the sport of track and field.

After enduring what he described as a long collegiate season, the longest he’s had to endure competing from January, Mccoy said he felt he had enough left in the tank as he completed his sprint double.

In the first of three heats of the men’s 200 metre semifinal last night at the Stade de France, McCoy came through in fifth place in 20.61.

American Kenny Bednarek took the heat in 20.00 to move onto the final, but McCoy finished as the 18th best in the field as he bowed out of his debut at the Olympics.

“I feel pretty good. I executed what my coach told me to do,” he said. “I came off the curve, but when I glanced over to my left (as he raised his hand to indicate), they were gone.

“They are more mature in the sport and so they understand it a little more than I do. They were a little more experienced than me.”

Having spent just three years running competitively in the sport as he converted from playing basketball, McCoy said he just needed to learn to run his own race and block out all of the distractions around him.

“I did it tonight, but running out of lane nine, they kind of used me. I have to learn how to run on the outside rather than chasing someone all of the time. But I prefer to chase someone, but to each his own.”

In a season where he and Texas Tech’s Terrence Jones traded the national indoor 60m record (now held by Jones), McCoy said he wanted to break the national record outdoors, but things just didn’t pan out.

“Next year for sure, I will come back,” he stated.

Looking back at his experience here, running 10.24 for 41st overall (with Jones 49th in 10.31), McCoy said he was surprised to be able to run against some of his idols whom he looked up to as a young boy.

All in all, he admitted that it was a good trip to Paris and he’s looking forward to competing in his next Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, California.

But the 21-year-old, who is now expected to venture into the pro ranks, also predicted that he will be much better to compete at the 2025 World Championship in Tokyo, Japan, although he’s not sure if it will be the sprint double.