'She set the bar really high' - Melissa Jefferson-Wooden on the impact of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in women's sprints

Triple world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has praised the impact of the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in women's sprints as the Jamaican heads towards retirement in the sport.

The American speedster was crowned the undisputed sprint queen at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, after claiming three gold medals (100m, 200m, and 4x100m) to become the second woman in history, since Fraser-Pryce (Moscow 2013), to achieve such a feat.

Jefferson-Wooden's outstanding success propelled her among the greats on the all-time women's sprint list.

"Shelly, she set the bar really high, and me a little girl watching her, you know do what she did at the age of 21, becoming a world champion in a field where nobody saw her winning, I feel like I'm kind of living in that same journey in my own way," she said in a post-race interview in Tokyo.

Fraser-Pryce is highly regarded in the elite league of the greatest female sprinters in history, having a career that spanned 18 years with a domineering legacy that saw her become a five-time world 100m champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist.

At the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, which was the last dance to her iconic career, the 38-year-old Jamaican icon still showed her resilience and why she'll never be forgotten in the annals of history by getting to the 100m final and settled for a respectable sixth-place finish, before running a vital second leg for the young Jamaican 4x100m relay squad as they blazed to the silver medal.

All these and so much more make her a legend in the sport, serving as a great mentor to several athletes globally, including Jefferson-Wooden.

"To just see her dominate for so long and see what she's done for women's sprints it just means a lot, and you know I've looked up to her growing up, and to be able to share the same stages with her, to be able to just try to follow in her footsteps is just also surreal," she concluded.

Jefferson-Wooden had a dominant 2025 season, remaining undefeated in the 100m. Furthermore, by winning the 200m, she demonstrated her supremacy by clinching the world title.Jefferson-Wooden had a dominant 2025 season, remaining undefeated in the 100m. Furthermore, by winning the 200m, she demonstrated her supremacy by clinching the world title.

With the 2026 season set to be a huge test of her consistency, the 25-year-old will hope she can continue and live up to the longevity of the sprint legend Fraser-Pryce.