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Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has dominated women’s sprinting in 2025. Now the American has put a bow on it by winning her first world title and conjuring up one of the most spectacular 100 metres performances in history.
That might sound like hyperbole. But the 24-year-old American’s winning time of 10.61 was not only a championship record but made her the fourth fastest woman in history. Incredibly only Florence Griffith Joyner, Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have gone faster than the 24-year-old Jefferson on this balmy night in Tokyo.
“This year has been nothing short of a dream,” she said. “I have been working so hard for this very moment to come out here. I just focused on my execution so to put together the perfect race at the right time just means so much to me.”
And who knows what might be next, given that she has already lowered her personal best by 0.19 sec this season after an injury-plagued 2024 season. At the press conference afterwards she was asked whether it was possible that she might one day break the world record. Intriguingly, she didn’t entirely rule it out.
“As far as world records go, Flo Jo is the greatest to do it,” she said. “She has put a number out there that’s definitely worth chasing.”
Usually at world championships the 100m men’s and women’s finals have top billing on separate nights. Here they were squeezed together just seven minutes apart. It meant that the 68,000 crowd at the National Stadium were also able to watch two scintillating demonstrations of speed, with Jefferson-Wooden providing the first of what would be a dramatic one-two punch.
The race looked close for about the first 30 metres. The reigning Olympic champion Julien Alfred got out fast. But Jefferson-Wooden exploded from the blocks just as quickly as soon took control. Behind her was the 21-year-old Jamaican Tia Clayton, who took silver in a personal best of 10.76, while Alfred won bronze in 10.84.
One of the biggest cheers of the night was for the 38-year-old Fraser-Pryce, who came sixth in 11.03 in the final world championship in a glittering career. Dina Asher-Smith was last in 11.08.
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“I’m happy,” said Asher-Smith.” I would have loved for my times to be a bit shinier over the 100m, but I’m happy to have made a global final in what has been a very difficult year for me. I’m just excited for the next phase, the next year, because when you’ve got some more stability, you can make progress.”
Asher-Smith also praised Fraser-Pryce’s legacy, saying: “I got a selfie with her, probably my most valuable selfie in the world,” she added.
