Get out your broom—because Melissa Jefferson-Wooden just completed a sweep on the world stage, etching her name into track and field history.
The 24-year-old American sprinter captured gold in the women’s 200m final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking a world-leading 21.68 seconds. That win came on the heels of her earlier triumph in the 100m dash, making her the first American woman to secure both sprint titles in a single championship.
Her dominance didn’t stop there. Teaming up with training partners Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, Kayla White, and Sha’Carri Richardson, Jefferson-Wooden anchored the United States to a third consecutive 4x100m relay world title with a time of 41.75 seconds.
The sweep earned her an exclusive place in track history: Jefferson-Wooden is only the second woman ever—after Jamaica’s legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—to claim the sprint triple of the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at a single World Championships.
Fraser-Pryce Passes The Baton To A New Era
The Tokyo meet also marked the final World Championships for Fraser-Pryce, who closed out her storied career by leading Jamaica’s 4x100m team to a silver medal in 41.79 seconds alongside Tia and Tina Clayton and Jonielle Smith. Germany took bronze with 41.87.
In a symbolic moment, Fraser-Pryce and Jefferson-Wooden lined up side by side on the first leg of the relay, bridging track and field’s past and future.
“Shelly-Ann set the bar really, really high,” Jefferson-Wooden told reporters afterward. “Watching her do what she did at the age of 21, becoming a world champion… I feel like I’m living in that same journey but in my own way.”
A Meteoric Rise
Jefferson-Wooden’s ascent has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2022, she stunned many by becoming the U.S. national champion in the 100m after a shaky NCAA season. Her resilience and determination have since fueled her steady climb to the pinnacle of the sport.
Now, with five world championship gold medals, she is on track to join legends like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Maurice Greene, Noah Lyles, and Fraser-Pryce among the most decorated sprinters in history.
Her season isn’t over yet. On October 10, she will compete at ATHLOS, an all-women’s track and field meet at New York City’s Icahn Stadium. If she wins the 100m there, Jefferson-Wooden will become the first woman since Fraser-Pryce in 2015 to complete an undefeated season in the event.
More Than Medals
For Jefferson-Wooden, the victories are about more than personal glory—they are about carrying forward a legacy.
Fraser-Pryce’s trailblazing career laid the foundation for women sprinters, and Jefferson-Wooden is determined to expand that legacy in her own name.
