Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became the first woman since Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013 to achieve the world sprint double after easing to victory in the 200 metres on Friday.
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The 24-year-old American timed 21.68sec, Briton Amy Hunt was an impressive second in 22.14sec with two-time defending champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica third in a time of 22.18sec.
"To be able to win the double is amazing," said Jefferson-Wooden.
"The last one to do so was Shelly-Ann, it speaks volumes.
"Not a lot of women double anymore, so for me to come here, do the double and win gold medals just says a lot."
MELISSA DOES THE DOUBLE 🥇🥇@Melissajanae21 is the sprint queen of this year's #WorldAthleticsChamps, after powering to 21.68 to also win the 200m title 🤩 pic.twitter.com/s4zskUoGks
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 19, 2025
Jefferson-Wooden's victory was also the first by an American since Allyson Felix won the third of her titles in Berlin in 2009, an achievement she said "means a lot".
"I looked up to her so much growing up," he added.
The race was missing Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, who pulled out injured before the championships, and the silver medallist from Paris last year Julien Alfred, who withdrew before the heats with a hamstring issue.
Jefferson-Wooden, coached by the controversial former sprinter Dennis Mitchell, who served a ban for doping during his competitive career, handled the pressure of being favourite brilliantly.
Not even the disqualification of veteran Bahamaian Anthonique Strachan for a false start distracted her.
Jefferson-Wooden came off the bend into the finishing straight well ahead and nobody looked like catching her.
Jackson tried her best to cut the gap but it was to no avail and the 31-year-old was passed by the fast-finishing 23-year-old Hunt who collected her first senior individual medal at a world championships or Olympics.
As Jefferson-Wooden celebrated going from being a 100m Olympic bronze medallist last year to double world champion, Jackson flopped to the ground in disappointment.
𝐉𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍-𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐍 has done the 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄 🥇🥇
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 19, 2025
She takes the Women's 200m World title with a blistering time of 21.68 👟⚡#HereForHer | #WCHTokyo25 pic.twitter.com/RISU6eeHvQ
Hunt, by contrast, ran to the area where athletes' families gather and shed tears of joy as she hugged her mother.
"I didn't know what to do – cry or smile," said the 23-year-old, who studied at the elite Cambridge University.
"As soon as I saw my mum, I just burst into tears.
I chose to go to Cambridge to get a degree. That is my message for young people – you don't have to give up education.
"You can be an academic badass and a track goddess. You can be the best in everything," added Hunt.
Tears of another kind were in order for her older teammate Dina Asher-Smith, the 2019 world champion's powers clearly on the wane as she could only finish fifth.
Asher-Smith, 29, has been around for a while but not as long as Marie-Josee Ta Lou Smith, a dual silver medallist way back in 2017.
The redoubtable Ivorian never challenged for the medals, but simply appearing in her 13th individual global championship final was an achievement in itself for the 36-year-old.
