Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Kenny Bednarek Sweep Ultimate Championship 100m, 200m
Jefferson-Wooden and Bednarek each earned $300,000 after winning the 100m and 200m, capping the inaugural event’s richest prize pot.
- On Sunday, Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek completed sprint doubles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, winning their 200m races a day after securing 100m victories.
- Each athlete banked $300,000 for their performance at the all-cash-no-medals event, which featured a $10 million prize pot. Jefferson-Wooden and Bednarek have trained together in Central Florida for three years.
- Jefferson-Wooden clocked 21.47 seconds—the fourth-fastest time ever—while Bednarek won in 19.52 seconds. Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt applauded from the stands as Jefferson-Wooden noted, "I never thought that people like Usain Bolt would watch my races."
- The three-day event drew sellout crowds of over 20,000 fans each evening. Pole vaulter Sandi Morris secured her first major win with a 4.90-meter jump, while Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi cleared 2.37 metres for his title.
- Organizers plan to host the next edition following the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi won the 400m in 43.39, signaling his nation's rising status heading toward the Los Angeles Games.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Takes a Dig at Track and Field Community After 3rd Fastest 200m Time Ever
Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden returned to X after months of silence, and she did it with a cryptic jab at the track and field community. Fresh off her 200m gold at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, where she clocked 21.47 seconds, the third‑fastest time ever recorded, Jefferson‑Wooden posted: “Is it safe to come back here?” […]
At the World Athletics Ultimate Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, Melissa Jefferson Wooden of the United States won the women's 200m, achieving a double victory in sprinting. With a total prize pool of $10 million, this competition is the largest athletics championship of all time, featuring an invitation to only Olympic and World Championship winners.
Ultimate Championship 2026: Jefferson-Wooden, Bednarek seal sprint doubles; Tamberi, Dos Santos triumph
Jefferson-Wooden’s 200m time was the fourth-fastest ever run. Only world record holder Florence Griffith Joyner (21.34) and Jamaican Shericka Jackson (21.41 and 21.45) have gone faster.
The 10 million-dollar premiere of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship did not bring a world record in Budapest, but on the three days before a total of 61,000 spectators a flood of great performances – as on the final day especially the 200-m triumph of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in sensational 21.47.
Jefferson-Wooden clocks a 21.47 in the 200 at Ultimate, the fourth-fastest time in history
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran the fourth-fastest 200-meter time in history Sunday, 21.47 seconds, busting through the curve to wrap up a $300,000 weekend by completing the sprint double at Ultimate Championships.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
