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Melissa Jefferson-Wooden

For the musician Melissa Jefferson, see Lizzo.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden
OLY[citation needed]
Jefferson in the 4 × 100 m at the 2024 World Athletics Relays
Personal information
Born (2001-02-21) February 21, 2001 (age 24)
Georgetown, South Carolina, U.S.[1]
Sport
Country United States
SportTrack and field
Event(s)60 metres
100 metres
200 metres
College teamCoastal Carolina Chanticleers
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)60 m: 7.09 (2022)
100 m: 10.65 (2025)
200m: 21.84 (2025)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 4 × 100 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 100 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Eugene 4 × 100 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest 4 × 100 m relay
World Relays
Gold medal – first place 2024 Nassau 4 × 100 m relay

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (née Jefferson; born February 21, 2001) is an American track and field sprinter. She won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 100 metres.[2]

Career

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Jefferson competed at Coastal Carolina University and won the NCAA Indoor 60 m Championship in 2022.[3] She won the 100 metres at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to qualify for the 2022 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon. Jefferson reached the final and finished eighth.[4][5] She won gold as part of the 4 × 100 metres relay team.[6]

She was also a member of the US team which won the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest.[7][8]

In 2024, Jefferson was a member of the USA team which won the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas.[9][10] She won the 100m at the LA Grand Prix meet in May.[11] In June, she finished second in the 100 metres at the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, in a new personal best of 10.80 seconds.[12] At the Paris Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 100 m with a time of 10.90 s.[13] She won gold as part of the 4x100 m relay team.[14]

Jefferson (right) and her training partner, Twanisha Terry (left), at the 2024 US Olympic trials

In September 2024, it was announced that Jefferson had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.[15] She won both the 100 metres and 200 metres races in the Short Sprints category, ahead of Jenna Prandini and Jacious Sears, at the inaugural Grand Slam Track Kingston meeting on 5-6 April 2025, in Kingston, Jamaica.[16][17] Jefferson ran 10.75 (+2.4 wind) to win the women’s 100 metres race at the second slam event in Miami on 2 May 2025.[18] The following day, she became the first athlete to claim back-to-back titles as third place in the 200 metres race, which meant she finished a point clear of 200m winner Gabby Thomas in the two-race format.[19] She ran a personal best of 21.99 seconds to win the 200 meter race at the 2025 Philadelphia Slam on 31 May 2025.[20] The following day, she moved into the top-ten all-time for the 100 metres, running a personal best and current world lead of 10.73 seconds.[21] She ran 10.75 seconds to beat Olympic champion Julien Alfred into second in the 100 metres at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on 5 July into a headwind (-1.5 m/s).[22]

She ran 10.65 seconds (+0.4) to win 100 metres at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, with the time making her the joint-fifth-fastest woman in history.[23][24] She also ran a personal best to win the 200 meters at the championships in 21.84 seconds.[25] Later that month, she ran 10.66 seconds (+0.1) to win the 100 metres at the Diamond League event in Silesia.[26]

Personal life

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She married Rolan Wooden II in March 2025 in Florida. The ceremony featured Isaiah Likely as best man and Twanisha “Tee Tee” Terry as a bridesmaid, with fellow Olympians Sha'Carri Richardson, Kenny Bednarek and Christian Coleman in attendance. The couple live in Florida.[27]

Statistics

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Circuit performances

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Grand Slam Track results[28]
Slam Race group Event Pl. Time Prize money
2025 Kingston Slam Short sprints 100 m 1st 11.11 US$100,000
200 m 1st 23.46
2025 Miami Slam Short sprints 100 m 1st 10.75 US$100,000
200 m 3rd 22.15
2025 Philadelphia Slam Short sprints 200 m 1st 21.99 US$100,000
100 m 1st 10.73

International championships

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Representing the  United States
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
2022 World Championships Eugene, Oregon, USA 100 m 8th 11.03
World Championships Eugene, Oregon, USA 4 × 100 m relay 1st 41.14
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 4 × 100 m relay 1st 41.44 ran heat only
2024 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 4 × 100 m relay 1st 41.85
Olympic Games Paris, France 100 m 3rd 10.92
4 × 100 m relay 1st 41.78

National championships

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Year Competition Place Event Position Time Notes
2021 NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 100 m sf1 : 7th 11.41
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 200 m sf1 : 6th 23.46
2022 NCAA Div. I Indoor Championships Birmingham, AL 60 m 1st 7.09 PB
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 100 m 8th 11.24
NCAA Division I Championships Eugene, Oregon 200 m 9th 22.90
USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 100 m 1st 10.69w +2.9 m/s
2023 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 100 m 5th 11.07 +0.7 m/s
2024 U.S. Olympic trials Eugene, Oregon 100 m 2nd 10.80 +0.8 m/s PB
2025 USATF Championships Eugene, Oregon 100 m 1st 10.65 +0.4 m/s PB, WL
200 m 1st 21.84 +0.5 m/s PB

References

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  1. ^ Williams, Tiara (May 18, 2022). "Real Talk with Rising Star Melissa Jefferson". Track & Field Fan Hub. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Melissa JEFFERSON | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  3. ^ Dunn, Brandon (March 12, 2022). "Melissa Jefferson Takes Gold in 60-Meter Dash at NCAA Championships". WPDE. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "Jefferson Advances to Semifinals at 2022 World Athletics Championships". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. July 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "America's new sprint queen Melissa Jefferson ready to take on Jamaican stars". The Independent. June 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Phillips, Mitch (July 23, 2022). "Slick U.S. women shock Jamaican superstars to win sprint relay". Reuters. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster". letsrun.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "4 x 100 Metres Relay Women - Round 1" (PDF). World Athletics. August 25, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "USA TRACK & FIELD ANNOUNCES FULL TEAM FOR WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS BAHAMAS 24". USATF. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Whittington, Jess (May 6, 2024). "Championship record falls as USA wins 4x100m finals at WRE Bahamas 24". World Athletics. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "Benjamin and McLaughlin-Levrone impress in Los Angeles". World Athletics. May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Henderson, Jason (June 23, 2024). "Sha'Carri Richardson wins US Olympic trials 100m in 10.71". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "Melissa Jefferson Wins Bronze Medal in 100m at Paris Olympics". Coastal Carolina University. August 3, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  14. ^ Shinde, Janhavi (August 21, 2024). ""Still processing everything" - Melissa Jefferson reflects on her successful campaign at Paris Olympics". Sportskeeda. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "Olympic medalist Melissa Jefferson joins Grand Slam Track". Inside the Games. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Henderson, Jason (April 6, 2025). "Wanyonyi takes down Olympic 1500m medallists at Grand Slam Track". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  17. ^ Adams, Tim (April 6, 2025). "Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominates at Grand Slam Track". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  18. ^ Gault, Jonathan (May 2, 2025). "Grand Slam Track Miami Day 1: Masai Russell Breaks American Record in 100m Hurdles as Josh Kerr Makes 1500 Statement". Lets Run. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  19. ^ "JOSH KERR DELIVERS STATEMENT WIN AT GRAND SLAM TRACK MIAMI". Athletics Weekly. May 3, 2025. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  20. ^ Adams, Tim (June 1, 2025). "MASTERFUL MATT HUDSON-SMITH WINS OVER 400M IN PHILADELPHIA". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  21. ^ Collins, Ben (June 2, 2025). "Kerr gains revenge at latest Grand Slam Track meet". BBC Sport. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  22. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (July 5, 2025). "Prefontaine Classic: Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet break world records". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  23. ^ Zaccardi, Nick (August 1, 2025). "Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Kenny Bednarek win U.S. 100m titles in personal best times". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  24. ^ "Men's 100m Results - USATF Outdoor Championships 2025". Watch Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  25. ^ "Noah Lyles shoved by Kenny Bednarek after 200m win at nationals". ESPN. August 3, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  26. ^ Hemderson, Jason (August 16, 2025). "FAITH KIPYEGON NARROWLY FAILS TO BEAT WANG JUNXIA'S WORLD 3000M RECORD". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  27. ^ Robinette, Ashlyn (March 4, 2025). "Olympic Medalist Melissa Jefferson Marries College Sweetheart Rolan Wooden II in 'Dream Come True' Wedding (Exclusive)". People.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  28. ^ "Grand Slam Track Results". Grand Slam Track. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
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