In epic fashion, former South Carolina track star Quincy Hall won the men's 400 meters for the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

Hall pulled ahead in the final seconds and finished with a time of 43.40 seconds, just .04 ahead of runner-up Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain.

"I have a pretty big engine, I used to run cross country," Hall told reporters. "I put a lot of mileage in, a lot of stuff like that."

Hall said it's his second year running the 400 but that he's known for his extra energy surges nearing the finish line.

“As long as I can start the race, I know I can finish," Hall said. "You can’t outrun a dog. A dog will chase you forever.”

Hall, who turned 26 on July 31, is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and ran for the Gamecocks beginning in the 2019 indoor season after starting his college career at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. In his first season in Columbia, he set a new program record in the indoor 400. He was the 2019 outdoor NCAA champion in the 400 hurdles and was named an indoor All-American in the 400 in 2020.

This marks the first individual gold medal for any former South Carolina athlete at the 2024 Olympics. Former Gamecocks basketball star A'ja Wilson advanced to the semifinals with Team USA and is in position for her second straight gold medal, the eighth straight for the U.S. women's team.

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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Quincy Hall of South Carolina wins gold in 400 run at Paris Olympics