Jefferson-Wooden, Bednarek pocket $300,000 after sprint doubles in Budapest

13 Sep 2026, 19:41 · CNA · Join

Athletics - 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships - National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary - September 13, 2026 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the U.S. celebrates as she crosses the line to win the Women's 200m final REUTERS/Marton Monus

Athletics - 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships - National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary - September 13, 2026 Kenneth Bednarek of the U.S. wins the Men's 200m final REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

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BUDAPEST, Sept 13 : Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek completed sprint doubles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday, each banking $300,000 by racing to victory in the 200m a day after they were crowned 100m champions.

Jefferson-Wooden, the sport's new sprint queen, sealed a memorable weekend by capturing the women's 200m title in a blistering 21.47 seconds - making her the third-fastest women over the distance of all-time - after her victory in the blue-riband 100m.

Olympic champion Gabby Thomas was second in 21.77.

Bednarek had set the pace minutes earlier, building a sizeable lead on the corner en route to 19.52 in the men's 200m, ahead of Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (19.76).

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The stadium screen showed a smiling world record-holder Usain Bolt standing applauding Bednarek's effort.

For Jefferson-Wooden and Bednarek, who have trained together in Central Florida for the past three years, the weekend felt like the culmination of years of hard work.

For Jefferson-Wooden, the race was another chance to underline her status among the world's elite sprinters three years after she attended the world championships in Budapest only as part of the U.S. relay pool.

Bednarek, meanwhile, has spent much of the past decade establishing himself as one of the world's finest half-lappers.

Nicknamed "Kung Fu Kenny" because he races in a bandana, he is a two-time Olympic silver medallist over 200m and has regularly challenged for major titles. Saturday's 100m victory was his first individual global title.

The inaugural three-day event, compact and designed for television, drew sellout crowds of just over 20,000 fans each evening, and by the final night the atmosphere felt less like a traditional athletics meeting and more like a party, with music pumping during events, and athletes feeding off the energy.

Italian Gianmarco Tamberi had the crowd enthralled as he cleared 2.37 metres to win the men's high jump title.

Never one to miss a chance to work the crowd, Tamberi competed while "Rock This Party" and "Put Your Hands Up in the Air" boomed from the stadium speakers.

Pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis closed the event by performing his song "Gold," which was also the event's anthem, while fireworks blasted above the stadium.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said that the event was partly a trial, and elements that worked well could potentially be included in future Olympics and World Championships.

Jefferson-Wooden, Bednarek pocket $300,000 after sprint doubles in Budapest

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