American sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden closed the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships with a sweep that placed her in rare company. She won the 100m, the 200m, and returned to anchor the United States’ success in the 4x100m relay. Her 200m final on September 5 was decisive, clocking 21.68 seconds, the fastest time of the year. That win followed her gold in the 100m and set up her contribution in the relay, where Sha’Carri Richardson crossed the line to secure gold in 41.75. In a rain-swept stadium, Jefferson-Wooden stood as the first woman since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013 to complete the sprint double at a world championship.

Just days after the championships, Jefferson-Wooden appeared in the “spirit tunnel” of The Jennifer Hudson Show. Wearing her medals, she danced down the hallway, while others kept on cheering for the champion. The official page of the show shared the video, and immediately the footage quickly drew attention from the track community.

Amid this, it did not take long for the tech mogul who’s now also the owner of all-women track and field Athlos NYC, Alexis Ohanian, to join the conversation. When track analyst Travis Miller reposted the clip, Ohanian left a comment that read, “things we love to see!” The endorsement came at a moment when many expected Jefferson-Wooden to headline at Athlos on October 10. However, her recent decision has spoken otherwise.

Jefferson-Wooden is not the first athlete to be welcomed into Hudson’s tunnel after a historic campaign. Earlier this year, Olympic gymnastics champion Jordan Chiles had the same honor. On March 4, she arrived on the show in a pink minidress, fresh from the announcement of her own Barbie doll and the release of her memoir. She danced as the crew sang their entrance song, as they did for the newly crowned track and field queen. 

For those who hoped to see the new sprint champion at Athlos NYC, such a celebratory dance and Ohanian’s praises on the comment box must be leaving them enthusiastic. But unfortunately, Melissa, despite having a glamorous run this season, decided to take a step back from the all-women league.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden skips Athlos NYC after historic sprinting season triumph

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden had carried the sprinting calendar of 2025 with an authority that left little debate. She collected medals from the first weekend of April to the closing ceremonies of the World Championships in August, when she secured three golds in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Yet when Athlos NYC prepared to stage its second edition in October, the reigning champion stepped away, explaining that the season had reached its natural limit for her body and mind.

“What a year it’s been. From an undefeated season in the 100m, to etching my name in history as the first American to win triple gold at the same World Championships… SOMEBODY PINCH ME!” she wrote in her statement. The sense of accomplishment was evident, but so too was the recognition that achievement had carried a cost. After what she described as “a lot of thought and consideration,” Jefferson-Wooden concluded, “my team and I have decided I won’t be competing at the ATHLOS Meet on October 10th.”

For Jefferson-Wooden, the choice appeared less about a single race and more about preserving the foundation for future campaigns. She described the decision as “not an easy” one but accepted it as “the right one.” Surely, this was quite a fitting end to a fantastic season for the US sprint sensation. And it is expected that the time off from the track will serve as the perfect opportunity for Jefferson-Wooden to recover and come back stronger next year. She took the remainder of the season off from the track but not from making a comeback on social media.