Melissa Jefferson-Wooden came into the World Track and Field Championships with one career individual global medal, a bronze in the 100m at the 2024 Olympics.
She will leave it with two individual golds, becoming the second woman in 30 years — and first American woman ever — to sweep the 100m and 200m at a single worlds.
Jefferson-Wooden, after winning last Sunday’s 100m in crushing fashion, was even more dominant in Friday’s 200m, running 21.68 seconds, the world’s best time in two years.
Jefferson-Wooden, who calls herself a “true 100m sprinter,” came into 2025 with a 200m PB of 22.46. Now she’s gone .01 faster than Allyson Felix’s personal best.
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“At the beginning of the year, I told my coaches that I wanted to take the 200m more seriously,” she said. “They both kind of looked at each other like, ‘Did I hear what she just said. Is she serious?’”
Brit Amy Hunt took silver, .46 behind, followed by two-time defending world champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.
The only other woman to sweep the 100m and 200m at one worlds in the last 30 years was Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013.
Friday’s field lacked the 2024 Olympic gold and silver medalists Gabby Thomas and Julien Alfred, both out injured.
In Sunday’s 4x100m relay, Jefferson-Wooden can become the fourth woman to win three golds at a single worlds.
The World Championships continue later Friday at 6:20 p.m. ET on Peacock with 20km race walks, heptathlon and decathlon events and qualifying in women’s shot put and men’s discus.
The next full finals session is Saturday at 6 a.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock including the heptathlon’s last event, the 800m (8:11 ET), the women’s 5000m (8:29) and the men’s 800m (9:22).
