American’s “dream” season delivers the right ending as she surges to world 100m title in Tokyo.
Melissa Jefferson-Wood has raced over 100m no fewer than 12 occasions in 2025. She has completed first on each single event however the win that may imply essentially the most arrived in outstanding type on the World Championships in Tokyo on Sunday evening (September 14).
On a night of sprinting fireworks that noticed the boys’s and ladies’s 100m finals happen simply seven minutes aside, the American broke the championships file with a run of 10.61 (0.3) that’s the fourth-fastest in historical past to land the primary main title of her profession.
Like lots of her performances this 12 months, she appeared in command from the early phases and there was clear daylight between the 24-year-old and Jamaica’s Tina Clayton, whose PB of 10.76 introduced her silver.
Simply as within the males’s race, the reigning Olympic champion completed third, with Julien Alfred working 10.84, whereas Shericka Jackson was fourth in 10.88. Defending world champion Sha’Carri Richardson was fifth in 10.94 and, within the final championships of her outstanding profession, five-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce not solely reached the ultimate on the age of 38 however completed sixth in 11.03. Britain’s sole consultant within the males’s and ladies’s 100m finals – Dina Asher-Smith – clocked 11.08 for eighth.
“This 12 months has been nothing wanting a dream,” stated the 24-year-old victor. “I have been working so exhausting for this very second. To have the ability to put collectively the right race on the proper time simply means a lot.”
There will probably be some who received’t be celebrating Jefferson-Wood’s victory an excessive amount of. Her USA team-mate and 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas not too long ago posted on social media that: “Doping coaches needs to be banned for all times from teaching within the sport. Whether or not you had been banned whereas competing as an athlete or caught distributing as a coach [for some, both]. I don’t care… When you practice beneath a coach who is thought for doping … you’re complicit.”
It was seen as a thinly veiled criticism of Dennis Mitchell, coach to the group that comprises Jefferson-Wood, Richardson and Twanisha Terry.
As an athlete, Mitchell was banned for 2 years in 1998 after a take a look at confirmed excessive ranges of testosterone and, beneath oath in 2008 in the course of the BALCO investigation, he testified that he’d obtained human development hormone (HGH) injections from his coach, Trevor Graham. Mitchell confronted additional doping associated allegations, which introduced his sacking as coach to former world champion Justin Gatlin.
Within the post-race press convention, Jefferson-Wood selected to not reply questions from reporters to offer her ideas on Thomas’ views.
“Gabby isn’t right here,” stated the world champion. “She’s entitled to her opinions.”
When requested about coping with the strain that had include being the pre-race favorite, and blocking out the surface noise, she stated: “I concentrate on me and my talents and what I do know I am able to.
“I encompass myself with love, with individuals who imagine in me, who help me, who’ve seen me grow to be the athlete that I’m at present. With regards to the surface noise and social media, on the finish of day, persons are all the time going to have their opinions.
“They’ll say what they need to say, but it surely’s as much as me how I reply to that, and the easiest way for me to reply is to not reply in any respect.
“Even when I do see some issues, you recognize, I do not let it get to me, as a result of on the finish of day, I do know all of the work and issues that I put in to have the ability to come out right here and carry out day in and day trip. When you actually take a look at my complete season, I’ve carried out a very good job of simply specializing in me. It is form of loopy to say I’ve a championship file.”
In a painful quirk of destiny within the semi-finals, British athletes dislodged one another from the ultimate non-automatic qualifier’s spot. It was a spot first held by Daryll Neita, who was a part of a semi-final during which Richardson obtained a reprieve after a false begin, falling out of her blocks.
Neita completed fourth in 11.06, however was overtaken within the second semi-final by Amy Hunt’s 10.05. Hunt’s marketing campaign was then completed by Asher-Smith’s 11.02.
“I am blissful,” stated Asher-Smith after the fourth 100m world last of her profession. “I’d have beloved for my occasions to be a bit shinier over the 100m, however given the 12 months that I’ve had [moving back to London from America after leaving Edrick Floreal’s training group in Texas] I am so pleased with simply how I got here into these championships. Clearly, I need much more within the 200m.”
