For years, the sprint conversation in U.S. track and field has revolved around, Noah Lyles, with his swagger and championships, and Sha’Carri Richardson, whose electric personality and blistering speed made her a household name.
But according to former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, the winds of change are already here.
In a candid interview on Coach’s Desk TV, Gatlin spotlighted two rising stars poised to upend the established order, Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. While the headlines have often focused on Lyles and Richardson, Gatlin believes the consistency and momentum of Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden now set them apart.
“These two are the front runners for sure,” Gatlin declared.
Unlike some athletes who selectively pick their races, this pair has consistently tackled both the 100m and 200m events, and won.
“They’re going to come back from Jamaica 1 and 2, to Miami 1 and 2, to Philly 1 and 2, to LA 1 and 2,” Gatlin explained.
Gatlin emphasized that in major meets, it’s the athletes who’ve honed that racing routine who hold the edge.
“Now they don’t have to worry about finding that energy for the rounds,” he said.
“They have that rhythm already for the rounds.”
Beyond their physical form, Gatlin pointed to a newfound confidence that’s fueling their performances.
“Confidence too, man. They got confidence right now,” he noted.
Gatlin recalled once advising Bednarek, then a training partner, that if he could ever refine his start, he would become a serious problem for the field. That adjustment, it seems, has now arrived.
The result is a pair of sprinters no longer chasing headlines or hypotheticals. Instead, they’re delivering, week in and week out.
The Defining Statement
Their performances at the recent Grand Slam Track Philadelphia meet perfectly illustrated Gatlin’s argument. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden opened her weekend with a lifetime best 21.99 in the 200m, leaving Olympic champion Gabby Thomas trailing.
But it was her 100m final that sent a message to the rest of the field. Clocking a stunning 10.73, Jefferson-Wooden dominated, finishing nearly three-tenths ahead of Tamari Davis, while Thomas placed fourth.
Bednarek claimed the 200m with a commanding 19.95, creating a rare half-second gap over his closest rival. Then, he returned to the track to deliver a 9.86 personal best in the 100m, his sixth consecutive victory in the Grand Slam series.
While Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson remain icons of the sport, their once-assumed supremacy now faces a serious challenge. Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden have established themselves at the top through relentless racing and peerless execution.
