Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Makes History, Sweeps 100-Meter and 200-Meter World Titles

The Americans flexed their track muscles Friday in Tokyo.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, seen here celebrating after her 100-meter win, doubled up Friday. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If this year's edition of the World Athletics Championships has proven anything, it's that there's a new star on the American track and field stage.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of Georgetown, S.C., won the 200-meter world championship Friday in Tokyo with a time of 21.68—the best in the world this year. In doing so, she became the first female sprinter since Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Moscow in 2013 to sweep both the 100- and 200-meter events.

The Coastal Carolina product entered this year's competition with a relatively sparse medal record, having won two world championship relay golds and an Olympic 100-meter bronze in Paris in 2024.

That is no longer the case. Jefferson-Wooden soared to a world championship-record 10.61 in the 100 meters Sunday before adding to her haul Friday.

Amy Hunt of Great Britain won silver with a time of 22.14, while two-time reigning gold medalist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica took bronze at 22.18.

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