Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has been on a roll the entire season. After an unblemished record of 0 races lost, Jefferson-Wooden entered the World Athletic Championships as a favorite for the 100 m event. After going 10.99s in the semis, coming in third overall, it was a question of whether she could fend off the competition in the main event. The American had to settle for bronze last year at the Paris Olympics, but this time? The gold was all hers.
The American national champion launched from Lane 4 while Julien Alfred followed in Lane 5. Jefferson, though, was in no mood to let anyone slide ahead of her. She clocked her third sub-10.70 of the season, clinching the gold medal in style with a time of 10.61 s. Not only did she set a new championship record, but that time also made her the fourth fastest woman in history.
But what about the 100 m Olympic champion, Julien Alfred? Well, this time it was Alfred who settled for bronze as Jamaica’s Tina Clayton ran the race of her life (literally), coming in at 10.76 s, setting a new personal best. Alfred followed behind at 10.84, beating Shericka Jackson (10.88 s) by a hair’s breadth.
Wooden Beats Julien Alfred to Cruise Through 100M Finals Win at World Athletics Championship
