Melissa Jefferson-Wooden sent a thunderous message to the sprinting world on Sunday, blazing to a world-leading 10.73 seconds in the women’s 100m at the Grand Slam Track (GST) meeting in Philadelphia.
The Olympic bronze medalist left no doubt about her dominance, storming to victory ahead of compatriot Tamari Davis (11.03) in a performance that solidifies her as a top contender for gold at this year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
A Weekend of Dominance
Jefferson-Wooden’s electrifying 100m win capped off a sensational double after she shattered her personal best (PB) in the 200m just a day earlier.
On Saturday, she stunned the field,including Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, by clocking 21.99, marking her first sub-22-second performance.
But it was Sunday’s 100m that truly turned heads. Running into a 1.4m/s tailwind, Jefferson-Wooden exploded out of the blocks and powered through the finish line, smashing her previous PB of 10.80 (set at last year’s Olympic Trials) and winning by a staggering 0.30-second margin. Davis claimed second in 11.03, while Thomas finished fourth in 11.16.
Jefferson-Wooden’s meteoric rise continues to rewrite her own narrative. Just a year ago, she was an Olympic bronze medalist in Paris, but now, she’s proving she belongs among the all-time greats.
Her 10.73 ties her for 10th on the world all-time list, just 0.01 shy of Olympic champion Julien Alfred’s 10.72.
What makes her performance even more remarkable is her rapid improvement in the 200m. Before 2025, her best was 22.46, but in her last two meets, she has run 22.15 and 21.99, signaling her evolution into a dual-sprint threat.
Grand Slam Track Dominance
Jefferson-Wooden has been the breakout star of the inaugural Grand Slam Track season, amassing $300,000 in prize money with victories in Kingston, Miramar, and now Philadelphia.
Her consistency and ability to deliver under pressure make her a formidable force heading into the US Trials in Eugene next month, where she’ll look to secure her spot for the World Championships.
With her latest performance, Jefferson-Wooden has firmly entered the conversation for 100m gold in Tokyo. The question now is whether she can sustain this blistering form for another three months. If she does, the world could witness the coronation of a new sprint queen.
Jefferson-Wooden’s journey adds another inspiring chapter to her story. Coming out of high school, she received only two scholarship offers before landing at Coastal Carolina.
Now, she stands as one of the fastest women in history, proving that perseverance and relentless work ethic can defy expectations.
