World Championships Tokyo 2025: 3 storylines to anticipate in women's 100m event

The World Championships in Tokyo is shaping up to be one for the history books, with the women's 100m event set to produce at least three iconic storylines.

With less than eight days to go until the start of the global showpiece, scheduled from September 13 to 21, the world's best athletes will converge as they chase glory for their respective countries.

In the women's 100m event, three sprint queens are considered as top challengers for the gold medal, led by world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Olympic champion Julien Alfred, and defending world champion Sha'Carri Richardson.

While fans' attention will be on who'll claim the highly coveted title, there are storylines attached to each individual, making it a highly anticipated event for the history books.

Saint Lucia's golden girl Alfred will chase her first world title, seeking to add to her history-making Paris 2024 Olympic victory.

Her debut appearance at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest saw her finish fifth in the final. Ever since, she has risen to the pinnacle of the sport with an undefeated 2024 season, as well as claimed all major championship titles she participated in.

Now more experienced and basking in high confidence, Alfred will be gunning to overcome all odds with her eyes set on another gold medal and write her name in Saint Lucia's history books again.

US champion Jefferson-Wooden is definitely in the best shape of her career, and on paper stands as the favourite for the world title, being the world leader and undefeated this year.

The Paris Olympic bronze medallist will be Alfred's biggest challenger, having defeated her once this year at the Eugene Diamond League in a narrow 10.75s to Alfred’s 10.77s running into a -1.5m/s headwind.

The two women have not raced each other since, but they are on a collision course for Tokyo, with the title on their minds and speed in their legs.

A podium finish in Paris gave Jefferson-Wooden a taste of global success, and brewing in high confidence this season, highlighted by clocking a world-leading 10.65s to win the US Championships, which lifted her to No.5 on the world all-time list, confirmed that she would be the woman to beat in Tokyo.

Five-time world champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce will have the chance to bid farewell to global athletics as she wished, by competing in the 100m at her ninth World Championships.

The 38-year-old Jamaican sprint legend may not be the favourite for another gold medal to add to her iconic collection, but she surely cannot be written off to edge herself into a podium placement to cap off her glorious career.