By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden underlined her status as the world’s leading women’s sprinter with a stunning 10.62 seconds victory in the women’s 100m final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Saturday.
The American produced a commanding performance to defeat Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who finished second in 10.74 seconds, while fellow American and 2023 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson took third in 10.76.
Jefferson-Wooden’s winning time was the fastest women’s 100m performance in the world this year, improving on the previous 2026 world lead by 0.01 seconds. It also came just 0.01 seconds short of her personal best of 10.61, set when she won the 100m title at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
The Budapest victory was particularly significant because it settled a closely watched rivalry between Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred.
Both sprinters had entered the meeting with 10.70-second times as the joint world leaders after Alfred edged Jefferson-Wooden in Zurich in August.
Jefferson-Wooden had previously beaten Alfred in Silesia, setting up the Budapest showdown as the decisive race in their three-week, best-of-three battle.
But there was little suspense once the final got underway.
Jefferson-Wooden exploded from the blocks and quickly established separation from Alfred, maintaining her acceleration through the latter stages to cross the line comfortably ahead of the Saint Lucian Olympic champion.
The margin of 0.12 seconds between the pair reflected the American’s dominance in a race that had been billed as one of the marquee clashes of the inaugural Ultimate Championship.
The result adds another major title to Jefferson-Wooden’s rapidly expanding collection. She won the women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles at the 2025 World Championships and has now added the inaugural Ultimate Championship crown to her résumé.
Her victory also strengthens her position among the fastest women in athletics history. According to NBC Sports, the 10.62 run leaves her as the fourth-fastest woman ever, behind Florence Griffith Joyner’s world record of 10.49, Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s 10.60.
For Alfred, the silver medal continues an impressive season but leaves her waiting for another opportunity to defeat Jefferson-Wooden on the biggest stage. The 2024 Olympic champion had arrived in Budapest with the momentum of her Zurich victory, where she ran a Saint Lucian record of 10.70.
Richardson, meanwhile, returned to the podium at a venue with special significance for her. She won the world 100m title in Budapest in 2023 in a championship-record 10.65, and her third-place finish this time gave her another global medal on the same track.
Jefferson-Wooden’s triumph also earned her $150,000, the top prize for individual winners at the Budapest championship.
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