American sprint Queen Jefferson-Wooden blazes to 100m World Title in Tokyo

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The 2025 World Athletics Championships witnessed a standout performance on Sunday as American sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden captured the women’s 100 metres world title in superb style, setting a new championship record of 10.61 seconds.

Jefferson-Wooden, entering the final unbeaten this season, exploded out of the blocks and dominated the field, handing silver to Jamaica’s Tina Clayton, who clocked a personal best of 10.76, while Olympic champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia took bronze with 10.84.

This victory marks a major breakthrough for Jefferson-Wooden, who recently earned a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics but had not yet claimed a global gold.

In a season defined by consistency, Jefferson-Wooden has never lost a 100m race, and this championship gold confirms her rise to the top of women’s sprinting.

Defending champion Sha’Carri Richardson managed a best‐of‐season time, finishing fifth in 10.94, but could not keep up with Jefferson-Wooden’s blistering pace.

Veteran athletes also featured, with legendary sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 38, making what many believe will be her final individual world championships 100m final, finishing sixth.

Speaking after the race, Jefferson-Wooden said she feels both relief and pride: “I made a statement, this is who I am, what I want to stand for.”

She also expressed aims to attempt a rare 100m-200m sprint double later in the championships.

With national stadium lights shining and the crowd erupting, Jefferson-Wooden’s performance in Tokyo will be remembered as a defining moment, as a new force in women’s sprinting emerges.