Just 13 months ago, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was collecting a bronze medal in the women’s 100m at the Paris Olympics. Today (September 21), the United States sprinter is a global champion in more ways than one, holding a trio of world championship gold medals after victories in the individual 100m and 200m as well as a 4x100m relay win, where she ran the opening leg.
It’s a remarkable feat, making Jefferson-Wooden only the second female sprinter after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to achieve a sprint treble and cementing her name among the best ever at the sport. Yet she remains unsatisfied and is looking to push even further.
With her third victory of the week, she’ll be hoping to add to a burgeoning haul of US medals on Sunday, as Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson also vie for a sprint triple crown. And, if they can do it, it would mark a remarkable era of American dominance at the event.
Meanwhile, 2021 Olympic 5000m silver medalist Beatrice Chebet shook the field with her stunning victory in the 10k, while Cordell Tinch (USA) capped an incredible season by winning the 110m hurdles. But it wasn’t all about the USA, with Leo Neugebauer winning the decathlon after a competition of twists and turns, Nicola Olyslagers becoming a three-time discus winner and Cole Hocker rebounding to clinch the 1500m title.