The women’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo was framed as the marquee event of the competition. With Olympic champion Julien Alfred, reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, and world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden all entered, anticipation soared. The prospect of the Olympic podium revisiting their rivalry on the global stage had been described as a race with as much intrigue as a “Hollywood blockbuster”- Olympics.com. Yet within hours of the final, the storyline shifted dramatically.
The much-anticipated final on September 14 delivered brilliance from Jefferson-Wooden. The 22-year-old American stormed to victory in a championship record of 10.61 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever recorded. “It has been an amazing year,” Jefferson-Wooden said afterward, reflecting on a season that also included a Diamond League triumph in Zurich. “Coming out with the gold medal and a championship record, it’s a great start to my second world championships.” Behind her, Jamaica’s Tia Clayton secured silver in 10.76, while Alfred crossed third in 10.84, her reaction time the fastest in the field at 0.169 but her stride visibly hampered. Sha’Carri Richardson, unable to match her rivals, finished fifth in a season-best 10.94, while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce concluded her final global championship in sixth.
The turning point of the week, however, came not in Jefferson-Wooden’s victory but in Alfred’s sudden setback. The Saint Lucia Athletics Federation announced the following morning that the Olympic 100m champion had withdrawn from the 200m. “On the advice of medical professionals and in consultation with her management team, our Olympic champion and 100m World Athletics Championships bronze medallist, Julien Alfred has been withdrawn from the women’s 200m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Julien sustained a grade 1 hamstring strain. The decision to withdraw prioritises her health and long-term career.” The statement from Saint Lucia Athletics Federation confirmed what had appeared evident in the final. Alfred’s bronze medal run had come at a physical cost.
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For Alfred, the disappointment is particularly acute given her trajectory. Only a year ago, she had delivered Saint Lucia’s first Olympic title with gold in Paris, followed by silver in the 200m. Entering Tokyo, her season-best 10.75 positioned her among the year’s fastest, just behind Jefferson-Wooden’s 10.65. The semi-finals suggested she was in prime form, comfortable through her first two starts, before her injury struck during the most consequential race. Citius Mag summarized the blow on social media, “After earning a bronze medal in the women’s 100m in the World Championships final last night, it appears that Julien Alfred is OUT of the 200m due to a grade one hamstring injury.”
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The withdrawal leaves Jefferson-Wooden as the headline act in the sprints. At only 22, she has risen from Olympic bronze in Paris to world champion in Tokyo, now preparing for the 200m and the 4x100m relay. “When the gun went off, I just thought, ‘Come on, get out strong.’ The rest of the race went like a blink of an eye,” she said after her victory. For Richardson, Fraser-Pryce, and Alfred, the final was a reminder of both the competitiveness of this generation and the unforgiving nature of championship racing. For Alfred in particular, the focus now turns to recovery, with her nation hoping that the decision to step away ensures longevity for a career still in its ascent.