How defending champion Sha'Carri Richardson missed out on 100m title in Tokyo

Sha'Carri Richardson shook her head in disbelief. This was not how the defending champion had imagined the women’s 100m final would unfold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday, September 14.

The Olympic silver medallist finished fifth in a time of 10.94 seconds, missing out on a podium spot in what has been a challenging season marked by injury setbacks.

Richardson had only just scraped through the semi-finals, advancing as one of the two fastest losers with a season’s best of 11.00 seconds—a pattern reminiscent of her path to gold at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. However, there was no repeat of her fairy-tale finish this time around.

Running from lane two, the American star was unable to mount a serious challenge. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who also trains under former sprinter Dennis Mitchell, surged to victory with a sensational run, clocking 10.61 seconds—a new championship record, breaking Richardson’s own mark of 10.65 set in Budapest.

As in the semi-finals, Richardson appeared to stumble slightly out of the blocks and never truly recovered. Though she closed strongly, her 10.94 was her first sub-11 performance of the season—a small personal triumph in an otherwise difficult year.

Despite the disappointment, Richardson will now turn her attention to the women’s 4x100m relay, where Team USA will aim to defend their title. The heats are scheduled for Saturday, September 20, with the final to follow on Sunday.

Result from women’s 100m final at World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, Tokyo, Japan:

    Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) 10.61 CR
    Tina Clayton (JAM) 10.76
    Julien Alfred (LCA) 10.84
    Shericka Jackson (JAM) 10.88
    Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) 10.94
    Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) 11.03
    Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) 11.04
    Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) 11.08