You can’t discuss Team USA’s performance at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships without mentioning Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. If fans were worried for their gold medal chances in the 100m with out-of-form Sha’Carri Richardson, Jefferson-Wooden allayed those fears emphatically. The 24-year-old took 10.61s to win the race, not only ensuring the gold stayed in American hands but also that the championship record stayed with an American sprinter. And then came the 200m.

With Julien Alfred’s unfortunate withdrawal due to injury, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson had a golden opportunity to defend her 200m world title and make it a three-peat. Enter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The 200m did not start without drama, though. Bahamian athlete Anthonique Strachan made a false start and was disqualified from the race. But then the race began. “And this time they are cleanly out of the blocks, and Shericka Jackson is already at the front.” the commentator said as the Jamaican started off the block in 0.169s. She took the lead, Dina Asher-Smith followed, but Jefferson-Wooden was in the race too.

The British had the lead on the curve of the race, but coming out of the race, things changed. Melissa, as the commentator said,”She is unstoppable. She’s flying,” spoiled Jackson’s party with a brilliant run to finish the race in 21.68s, earning the gold medal and the honor of being the first-ever American woman to win the 100m and 200m world titles. Sha’Carri Richardson couldn’t. Flo-Jo couldn’t. But Melissa Jefferson-Wooden did. This was the fastest she has ever run in the 200m and the fastest time recorded in the women’s 200m in 2025.

Adding to that, she is also the first woman to win both the 100m and 200m at the same Worlds in 12 years. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was the last to do it in 2013. If that wasn’t enough, the Americans dominated the U.S. vs. Jamaica rivalry in this race, as Amy Hunt followed her compatriot, crossing the finish line in second in 22.14s, while Shericka Jackson claimed the bronze medal in 22.18s. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, clocking the only sub-22 of the race and winning the race by 46 hundredths of a second ahead of the silver medalist, speaks volumes about how good she has been.

Next for Jefferson-Wooden is the 4x100m relay, which is to take place tomorrow. She has talked of the order but also said that it is unofficial. But if the predicted order is followed, she is to start the race, and TeeTee will be the backstretch runner who passes the baton to Kayla White at the curve. Richardson will be responsible for anchoring the relay. Now, the 100m world champion has a chance to achieve what Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt once achieved.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden might do what Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles did

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Noah Lyles did something historic: a treble. He equalled the championships record in the 100m, clocking 9.83s and taking the win. Then he also defended his 200m World title by recording 19.52 seconds and three-peated the title as well. Then came the 4x100m relay, where he anchored the team to victory with a time of 37.38 seconds. Now, in 2025, he has lost the 100m, so there is zero chance he can do it again. Usain Bolt did this in 2009, 2013, and 2015 World Championships.

Melissa Jefferson won the 100m World Championships in 10.61s, the fourth fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 100. Only Shelly-Ann Farser-Pryce (10.60), Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.60), and Florence Griffith Joyner (10.54) are ahead of her. Today, she claimed the gold as well, so she is more than half there. Sure, they will a tough competition in the 4x100m relays, but Team USA has an advantage.

Earlier this month, Gabby Thomas talked about what is wrong with relays. She said, “No, like people live all around the country and they have different training groups and we come together for this one meet and try to make a relay happen…We only get a couple of opportunities each year to practice together, right? We can train together at Olympic training camp or World Championships training camp, which is right before the meet.” This might not be the case for Team USA.The team that Melissa had unofficially talked of: her, Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Kayla White all train under the same coach, i.e., Dennis Mitchell, at Star Athletics in Florida.

Plus, at the Paris Olympics, the U.S. women’s 4×100m relay team: Jefferson, Terry, Gabby Thomas, and Sha’Carri Richardson, won the gold. Anchored by the 2023 world champion, they powered to gold with a time of 41.78 seconds. Jefferson got things started with an 11.46-second opening leg, Terry sprinted the second leg in 9.98 seconds, Thomas tackled the curve in 10.25 seconds, and Richardson brought it home with a blazing 10.09-second anchor leg. Kayla is filling in for Gabby here. Can they repeat what happened in Paris?