Paris, France - Quincy Hall on Wednesday became the fourth-fastest 400-meter runner in history when he captured Olympic gold in 43.40 seconds to end a 16-year drought for the USA in the event!

The 26-year-old lunged at the line to pip Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith, who set a new European record of 43.44 seconds, with Zambia's Muzala Samukonga taking bronze with 43.74.

For the first time ever, five athletes went below 44 seconds in the same race.

Hall is the first US man to win the one-lap event at the Olympics since LaShawn Merritt in Beijing in 2008.

"I don't give up, man," said Hall. "I just got grit. I grind. I got determination."

"Anything that I can think of, that's what gets me to that line. I think of all the hurt, all the pain."

Hall, who said he thought of his two daughters as he crossed the line, said the grit came from overcoming struggles growing up.

"That's where that grit comes from," he said.

"When you have no food, you got to get your own food. No cafeteria, no study hall, none of that."

Hall timed his run perfectly, coming from nowhere to just get the better of Hudson-Smith, who had led off the bend and looked set to become the first British winner of the title since Eric Liddell at the Paris Olympics a century ago.

"It means a lot," said Hall, who was only a bronze medalist at last year's world championships. "Last year I told you guys I was going to get a better medal this year... Guess what? I got one gold."