Sha’Carri Richardson came within a hundredth of a second of beating her training partner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden at the Prefontaine Classic, but once again had to settle for second. The two Americans were separated by just 0.01 seconds in Eugene on July 4, giving Richardson another chance to turn the tables when they met again at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. This time, however, Jefferson-Wooden left Richardson with a much bigger gap to close.

On September 12, Jefferson-Wooden clocked 10.62 seconds to win the women’s 100m final. The time was only 0.01 seconds away from the 10.61 she ran to win the 2025 World Championship title. Julien Alfred finished second in 10.74, while Richardson had to settle for third in 10.76. Jefferson-Wooden did not have the perfect start to the race. Jamaica’s Tina Clayton got away well and was ahead of the American in the early stages, but Jefferson-Wooden quickly found another gear. She powered through the final 50 meters and pulled clear of the field. 

For Richardson, one detail from the official results stood out. Richardson recorded a reaction time of 0.173 seconds, the slowest among all eight finalists. Alfred reacted in 0.144 seconds, while Jefferson-Wooden posted 0.163. Tina Clayton had the fastest reaction at 0.141. That does not mean Richardson lost because of her reaction time alone. The 100m is decided over the entire race, and factors such as acceleration, top speed and how an athlete handles the final stages all matter.

Still, Richardson gave the field a little more ground to make up from the gun, while Jefferson-Wooden was able to combine a quicker start with a powerful finish. The result also continued a trend that had already started earlier in the summer. At the Prefontaine Classic on July 4, Jefferson-Wooden edged Richardson in a photo finish. Jefferson-Wooden won in 10.78, Richardson ran 10.79 and Adaejah Hodge finished third in 10.80. The three women were separated by just 0.02 seconds.

Jefferson-Wooden’s comments after that race showed just how close the battle had been. “It was a fight literally to the finish but I wanted it more.” After the Prefontaine Classic, social media speculation began suggesting that there could be tension inside Richardson’s training environment. On July 9, a clip from a podcast featuring track analyst Leighton Levy circulated online, followed by claims of an alleged altercation involving people connected to Richardson’s training camp.

But still, their next meeting came at the Silesia Diamond League on August 23. This time, Jefferson-Wooden had a clearer advantage. She won the 100m in 10.78, finishing ahead of Olympic champion Julien Alfred in 10.83, while Richardson placed third in 10.96. That made the Ultimate Championship another opportunity for Richardson to close the gap. Instead, Jefferson-Wooden produced the fastest 100m of the season and left Richardson behind once again.