BUDAPEST, Hungary — Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completed an American sprint sweep Sunday, winning the men’s and women’s 200 meters in world-leading times at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Jefferson-Wooden blasted a stunning time of 21.47 to improve her previous PB of 21.68 secs and moved up from ninth to third on the all-time women’s 200-meter list, according to Tilastopaja stats and information. Only American Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record of 21.34 and Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson’s 21.41 have been faster.
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“I did not see 21.47 coming tonight,” said Jefferson-Wooden, who completed her 100-200 double at the three-day meet in Budapest. “I told myself that I need to be smart in the semifinal and save some energy.”
The 2025 world champion said she had expected to reach such a time eventually, but not in Budapest.
“I was thinking I could run this fast in maybe two years but not tonight,” Jefferson-Wooden said. “I really have no words.”
Olympic champion Gabby Thomas was second in 21.77, and Kayla White took third in 21.93 to complete an American sweep of the women’s podium. Jefferson-Wooden is coming off a world-leading 10.62-second performance to win the 100m on Saturday. The 25-year-old won three sprint gold medals at last year’s world championships.
Kenny Bednarek ran 19.52 seconds to beat Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo by 0.24 seconds and add the 200-meter title to the 100 crown he won Saturday.
Bednarek improved his personal best by five-hundredths of a second and moved into the top seven on the all-time men’s list, based on the supplied information. He pulled clear of Tebogo, who ran a season-best 19.76, while American Courtney Lindsey claimed third in a season-best 19.79.
The performances gave the United States victories in all four individual sprint finals contested over the weekend. Both winners earned $150,000 for each title, putting their championship prize totals at $300,000 apiece. The World Athletics Ultimate Championship was held Sept. 11-13 at Budapest’s National Athletics Centre.
Bednarek, who won the men’s 100 in 9.85 seconds on Saturday, was capitalizing on the absence of fellow American Noah Lyles, the four-time 200-meter world champion who ended his season early because of injury.
Results
WORLD ATHLETICS ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026
At Budapest, Hungary
Men’s 200 meters
- Kenny Bednarek, United States, 19.52 seconds (world-leading).
- Letsile Tebogo, Botswana, 19.76 (season best).
- Courtney Lindsey, United States, 19.79 (season best).
- Sinesipho Dambile, South Africa, 19.91.
- Andre De Grasse, Canada, 19.92.
- Bryan Levell, Jamaica, 20.07.
- Aaron Brown, Canada, 20.23.
- Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike, Nigeria, 20.45.
Women’s 200 meters
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, United States, 21.47 seconds (world-leading).
- Gabrielle Thomas, United States, 21.77.
- Kayla White, United States, 21.93.
- Amy Hunt, Great Britain, 22.10 (season best).
- Ashanti Moore, Jamaica, 22.34.
- Cambrea Sturgis, United States, 22.46.
- Anavia Battle, United States, 22.54.
- Fabienne Hoenke, Switzerland, 22.74.
