Jefferson-Wooden, Bednarek pocket US$300k after sprint doubles in athletics’ Ultimate Championship

BUDAPEST – Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek completed sprint doubles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sept 13, each banking US$300,000 (S$380,000) 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 woman over the distance – after her victory in the blue-riband 100m.

Olympic champion Gabby Thomas was second in 21.77sec.

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

The stadium screen showed a smiling world record-holder Usain Bolt standing to applaud 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.

The race was another chance to underline Jefferson-Wooden’s status among the world’s elite sprinters three years after she attended the world championships in Budapest only as part of the US 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.

The 100m victory on Sept 12 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 meet 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 2.37m 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.

He added that elements which worked well could potentially be included in future Olympics and world championships. REUTERS