Ultimate Championship Highlights Historic Wins in Track and Field
For three years, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek trained together in Central Florida. They now share the title of World Ultimate champions in the 100m. Jefferson-Wooden extended her dominance as the new queen of sprints, while Bednarek achieved his greatest individual win at the debut World Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.62 seconds, nearly matching her personal best from the 2025 World title. She described Saturday’s race as the best 100m performance of her life. Cooler weather and a slight headwind were factors compared to the 2025 Worlds. She expressed the significance of the race, telling NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson, “I told myself, this is your moment.” She emphasized executing perfectly when the race began.
Competition Highlights:
- Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, finished second in 10.74.
- 2024 Olympic silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson followed closely at 10.76.
Jefferson-Wooden has only been defeated once since earning bronze at the Paris Games. She remains the fourth-fastest woman in history, trailing only prominent athletes like Florence Griffith Joyner and Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Bednarek, known for his Olympic achievements in the 200m, surprised many with a 9.85 victory over Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, the 2025 World champion. The race missed the presence of 2024 Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles due to injury. Despite his focus on the 200m, Bednarek has advanced steadily in the 100m, improving his standing since seventh at the 2024 Olympics and fourth at the 2025 World Championship.
“It’s more of a relief thing just because silver, silver, silver (in the 200m) over the years,” said Bednarek, the racer famously known as Kung Fu Kenny.
His headband distinguishes him in races, and he shared the significance of the win with LetsRun.com. It strengthens his belief in his capabilities and his place in top-tier competition.
The Ultimate Championship concludes Sunday and features races like the men’s and women’s 200m events, 400m hurdles, and 1500m. With a biennial format, the competition includes 2024 Olympic gold medalists, 2025 World champions, and top athletes, unrestricted by nationality. Winners receive substantial rewards, including $150,000, from a total prize pool of $10 million.
More Standout Performances:
- Collen Kebinatshipi from Botswana matched the fifth-fastest 400m time in history at 43.39 seconds, beating American Rai Benjamin by 76 hundredths.
- Kebinatshipi, 2025 World champion, broke 44 seconds six times in 2026, the most in history within one year.
- Swiss Audrey Werro had an undefeated season, winning the women’s 800m in 1:55.88, comfortably ahead of Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson.
Werro’s performance placed her as the 33rd-fastest woman, with record-breaking times later in the season. Her dominance in the 800m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship continued.
Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino won the women’s 400m in 49.07. Despite starting in the back, she overtook competitors for an emphatic victory. Meanwhile, American Sydney Levrone, who claimed a world title in 2025, was absent this season after the birth of her daughter.
Sandi Morris captured her biggest outdoor pole vault title, clearing 4.90 meters, surpassing Hana Moll, her younger compatriot. This win adds to her silver medals from previous Olympics and World Outdoor Championships.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen returned from a challenging period to secure the World Ultimate Championship 5000m title.