Jefferson-Wooden Blazes to 10.62 as Bednarek Completes US Sprint Double in Budapest

Posted by: Watch Athletics

Saturday, 12 September 2026

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden stormed to a world-leading 10.62 in the women’s 100m, while Kenny Bednarek completed a United States sprint double with a season-best 9.85 on a thrilling second night of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest. Audrey Werro defeated Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson in a high-quality women’s 800m, Collen Kebinatshipi produced the world’s second-fastest 400m time of the year, and Marileidy Paulino, Sandi Morris, Miltiadis Tentoglou, Klaudia Kazimierska and Haruka Kitaguchi were also crowned Ultimate champions at the National Athletics Centre.

Women’s 100m final

Three-time world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden stormed to victory in the women’s 100m in a world-leading 10.62 into a 0.2m/s headwind. The US sprinter finished just 0.01 outside the personal best she set while winning the world title last year.

Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who beat Jefferson-Wooden in Zurich, placed second in 10.74, edging 2023 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson (10.76). Alfred recorded her second-fastest time of the season, just 0.04 shy of the 10.70 she ran to win in Zurich.

Jonielle Smith finished fourth in 10.94, edging Diamond League champion Tina Clayton, who was credited with the same time. Patrizia van der Weken was the leading European in sixth place with 11.06, followed by Lavanya Williams (11.07) and European champion Amy Hunt (11.08).

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden: “This feels amazing. I crossed the line with a smile on my face because only I know all the things I have done to get to this moment. When I got into the blocks today, I just told myself that this is my moment.”

Women’s 100m semifinals

Jefferson-Wooden powered to victory in the first semifinal in 10.73, finishing just 0.03 outside her season’s best at the time. Sha’Carri Richardson placed second after improving her season’s best by 0.02 to 10.75. Jamaica’s Lavanya Williams took third in 11.02, edging European champion Amy Hunt, who received the same time.

Olympic champion Julien Alfred dominated the second semifinal, also winning in 10.73. Jonielle Smith secured the second qualifying spot in 10.94 ahead of Diamond League champion Tina Clayton (10.98), while Patrizia van der Weken advanced in fourth place with 11.08.

Men’s 100m final

Olympic 200m silver medallist and Diamond League champion Kenny Bednarek completed the US sprint double by winning the men’s 100m in a season-best 9.85. World champion Oblique Seville finished second in 9.90, matching the time he ran to win the Diamond League Final in Brussels last week.

Bednarek arrived in Budapest in outstanding form after winning the 200m in both Zurich and Brussels, setting a world-leading 19.62 in the latter. His latest victory came in front of sprint legends Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles.

Kenny Bednarek: “This one was for the history books. Everything is a little bit more exciting than at the World Championships, but this event also brought a bit more pressure on me as there is a lot on the line. I will get my sleep in and go back to work tomorrow. I want to win a double title and make people happy.”

Ronnie Baker placed third in 9.93, edging this year’s NCAA champion Kayinsola Ajayi, who received the same time. Christian Coleman finished fifth in 9.94, followed by Gift Leotlela (9.98), Letsile Tebogo (10.07) and Akani Simbine (10.09).

Men’s 100m semifinals

Oblique Seville won the first semifinal in 9.90 ahead of Letsile Tebogo, who equalled his season’s best of 9.95 and edged Christian Coleman (9.96). Gift Leotlela secured the fourth qualifying spot in 10.03.

Kenny Bednarek won the second semifinal in 9.94. Ronnie Baker and Kayinsola Ajayi both clocked 10.00, while Akani Simbine advanced in fourth place with 10.06.

Women’s 800m final

Audrey Werro delivered a fearless front-running performance to win the women’s 800m in 1:55.88, beating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.26) and Femke Bol Broeders (1:56.74). The race reproduced the podium order from the European Championships in Birmingham.

Werro capped a superb season in which she won the European title in Birmingham and secured her second consecutive Diamond League crown in Brussels. She also recorded Diamond League victories in Stockholm, Paris, Lausanne and Zurich.

Audrey Werro: “I’m so happy with the race. I think I have won every race I’ve had this year during the outdoor season. It is really crazy but, at the same time, it is something I have worked for, and now I am getting the result.”

Keely Hodgkinson: “I’m actually quite proud of how this race turned out. I wanted to win, and it ended up pretty close. These are some amazing women, and we all push each other.”

Addison Wiley placed fourth in a season-best 1:57.54 ahead of Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia (1:58.53) and Italian record-holder Eloisa Coiro (1:58.59).

Men’s 400m final

Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi won the men’s 400m in 43.39, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Kebinatshipi finished just 0.01 outside the world lead of 43.38 set by Samuel Ogazi at the NCAA Championships in Eugene in June.

Kebinatshipi added another global title to his collection one year after winning the world crown in Tokyo.

Rai Benjamin, the world and Olympic 400m hurdles champion, claimed second place in 44.15. World silver medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago finished third in 44.23, holding off Chris Bailey (44.27) and European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith (44.28).

Collen Kebinatshipi: “I’m proud of myself for hanging on from the start of the season to the end of it and with everything I was able to do this year. I am usually always sitting back and kicking in the last metres, but today I wanted to feel what other athletes were feeling over their races—to tie up a bit in the last metres.”

Women’s 400m final

Marileidy Paulino won the women’s 400m in 49.07, adding the Ultimate Championships title to a collection that includes Olympic gold from Paris 2024, a world title, a world silver medal and four Diamond League trophies.

Henriette Jæger placed second in 49.28, one month after winning European gold in Birmingham. Nickisha Pryce took third in 49.56 ahead of the Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver (49.91) and Chile’s Martina Weil, who improved her season’s best to 50.00.

Marileidy Paulino: “This is what I came here for, and I achieved my goal of winning the Ultimate Championship. I still have some work to do on the first part of my race, but I’m not quite finished with my season—I’ll be racing at the Athlos event in London, which is one last opportunity to run sub-49.”

Women’s pole vault

Sandi Morris claimed her first global outdoor title by clearing 4.90m in the women’s pole vault. The American added the Ultimate trophy to a collection that already includes two world outdoor silver medals, two world indoor titles and an Olympic silver medal.

This year’s Diamond League champion Hana Moll placed second on countback ahead of Angelica Moser, who set a season’s best of 4.85m.

Sandi Morris: “I decided to risk everything. All I had to do was produce the same jump at 4.90m, so I waited, gathered my strength and knew I had the height. I told myself, ‘Forget 4.85m—it won’t be enough to win, so I’m going to clear 4.90m.’ I really had to fight hard for that title.”

Men’s long jump

Miltiadis Tentoglou leapt 8.35m to win the men’s long jump and complete a major title collection that includes two Olympic gold medals, a world title and four European crowns. Tentoglou also produced an 8.27m jump in the third round.

Bozhidar Sarâboyukov came within one centimetre of victory with an 8.34m effort in the fourth round. Simon Ehammer took third with 8.07m, one month after winning the European silver medal behind Tentoglou in Birmingham.

Miltiadis Tentoglou: “I always say that jumping far is more important to me than winning, but tonight I was happy to add another global title to my collection. I was hoping to jump farther tonight, but I’m happy that I still had my best season ever. I had so many jumps over 8.40m and 8.50m, and I improved my PB to 8.66m.”

Women’s 1500m final

Klaudia Kazimierska won the women’s 1500m in 3:57.55, adding the Ultimate title to the European silver medal she earned in Birmingham and the Diamond League trophy she claimed in Brussels last week.

Georgia Hunter Bell, who beat Kazimierska to the European title in Birmingham, finished second in 3:57.72. Nikki Hiltz of the United States placed third in 3:58.18, followed by Freweyni Hailu (3:58.44), Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi (3:58.55) and Abbey Caldwell (3:58.84).

Klaudia Kazimierska: “It was a completely new position for me to be the favourite in a race like that. After winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels last week, I felt a bit of pressure. I really enjoyed winning that race, and I was hoping to do that again tonight. The last 100m, fighting against Georgia, was thrilling, but I prepared myself well over the season and I’ve gained lots of experience. I’ve raced Georgia a few times this year, and I had a plan for this race—finally, it played out exactly as I planned. This year I was also building up mentally. I had a few races where I learned a lot; it was like mentally unlocking something in my head.”

Women’s javelin final

Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi won the women’s javelin with a national record of 68.92m in the second round. This year’s Diamond League champion, China’s Yan Ziyi, threw 68.05m in the opening round to finish second ahead of 2023 world silver medallist Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (64.48m). Australia’s Mackenzie Little set a season’s best of 63.37m in fourth place.

Haruka Kitaguchi: “Last year in Tokyo, I was disappointed, but now I can say with confidence that I am back. After I threw 61 metres with my first attempt, my coach, world record-holder Jan Železný, told me to maintain my concentration and keep the javelin straight—and that if I did so, I could throw far.”

Men’s 800m semifinals

Brandon Miller, winner of the Diamond League meeting in London in July, won the first semifinal in 1:43.86. France’s Yanis Meziane finished second in 1:44.07 ahead of Belgium’s Eliott Crestan (1:44.09) and Olympic and world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:44.43).

European champion Mark English of Ireland won the second semifinal in 1:43.74. Francesco Pernici placed second in 1:43.80, the second-fastest time of his career and just 0.20 outside his Italian record. Marco Arop, the 2023 world champion in Budapest, secured the third qualifying spot in 1:44.21, edging Djamel Sedjati (1:44.23).

Men’s 400m hurdles semifinals

World record-holder Alison dos Santos won the first semifinal in 47.26 ahead of Olympic and world champion Rai Benjamin (47.49), Emil Agyekum (47.75) and Abderrahman Samba (47.83).

European champion Karsten Warholm won the second semifinal in 47.68, edging Ezekiel Nathaniel (47.75) and Matheus Lima (47.91). European silver medallist İsmail Nezir of Turkey qualified fourth with a personal best of 48.01.

Women’s 400m hurdles semifinals

European champion Emma Zapletalová dominated the first women’s 400m hurdles semifinal in 52.93. Gianna Woodruff finished second in 53.73 ahead of Belgian record-holder Paulien Couckuyt (53.81) and Rushell Clayton (53.84).

Jasmine Jones, the 2025 world silver medallist, clocked the fastest time of the semifinal round with 52.73. Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell finished second in 53.31, while Shiann Salmon took third with a personal best of 53.77, edging former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad (53.79).