“10.65 from Lane 9 into a -0.2 Headwind is CRAZY!!! Sha’Carri Richardson been that GIRL!!!!! 100m World Champion!!!!” That is what they say when you talk of the 2023 World Championships and Sha’Carri Richardson. After a shaky semifinal where she barely scraped through, Sha’Carri found herself in lane 9, out on the edge, underestimated. But in the final, she unleashed everything. With fire in her stride, she blazed past the world’s best, winning gold in 10.65 seconds and taking the 5th spot on the women’s all-time list. Needless to say, she earned that crown with fire in her legs. However, the ground beneath it is starting to crack.
When the bullet left the gun at the women’s 100m final at the USATF Championships on August 1, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden launched out of the block in a similar fashion. Halfway into the race and she had started to separate from the rest of the field. The commentator was cheering in excitement as they said, “She has grabbed control of this race, and she is separating. Her dominant season continues. 10.65 at a national title. The world lead is lowered.” Not only did she clock the fastest time of the season, but she now ranks at number 5 on the all-time list, with her 10.65. How does it feel? Well, here’s her own words…
“It’s surreal. It actually doesn’t sound real. You look at all these races, you look at all these amazing women who have accomplished those things so far. To think of it as me being a part of that list now is actually kind of crazy. But I’m grateful for it. I’ve worked my bu– off for it, “said Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in an interview that is streaming on Citius Mag’s YouTube channel on August 1st. She now sits at number 5 with Marion Jones, Shericka Jackson, and Sha’Carri Richardson on the women’s 100m all-time list. Florence Griffith-Joyner, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Carmelita Jeter sit above them in that order.
Reflecting on her personal best, she said it clearly shows she’s in good shape and ready to compete. Although it would be her first time running the 200 meters in a single day, she added a hopeful note, asking for God’s strength to carry her through. “But other than that, we’ve been doing it all year. Even with the greatest enemies, I’ve been able to get up there and run a really good 100 and then follow it up with a 200 or vice versa,” she continued.
Grand Slam Track In Philadelphia – Day One Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States wins in the Women s 200 Meters during the Grand Slam Track series at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on May 31, 2025. Philadelphia United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xSTRx originalFilename:str-grandsla250531_npJr3.jpg
In her debut in the 2025 season at the Grand Slam Track, she won both the 100m and 200m against opponents like Jacious Sears. She also said, “Now it’s just about getting through two more rounds and trying to make the team again.” Well, there’s another trouble for Sha’Carri Richardson.
Melissa Jefferson might be Sha’Carri Richardson’s biggest threat in her next race
Sha’Carri Richardson initially withdrew from the USATF Championships, skipping the 100m semifinals and 200m, following reports of her arrest in Seattle over a domestic dispute with fellow sprinter Christian Coleman. Now released, she’s back in the race. Reports confirmed that Richardson had informed officials she now planned to race in the 200m heats on Sunday.
It’s a risky return; she hasn’t won a 200m in over a year, last finishing fourth at the 2024 U.S. trials in 22.16 seconds. Gabby Thomas, who won that race in 21.60, has also dropped the 100m to focus on the 200m, making her a tough rival once again. But who has been overtaking Gabby Thomas? Melissa Jefferson. At the Miami Short Sprints Grand Slam on May 2, Jefferson‑Wooden ran a wind‑aided 10.75s to win the women’s 100 m, while Thomas finished fourth in 10.97s.
Less than a month later, at Philadelphia, Jefferson‑Wooden clocked a personal-best 21.99 s in the 200 m, edging Olympic 200 m champion Thomas, who took the runner‑up spot in 22.10s. The following day, she added back‑to‑back dominance with a 10.73s 100 m (a new world-leading time), outpacing Thomas yet again, who placed fourth in 11.16 . What do you think, can Richardson outrun her?
The post Jolting Sha’Carri Richardson’s Throne, Melissa Jefferson Makes a Strong Admission: “Greatest Enemies” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
