In Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson's absence, find out which new stars won the 100m at USATF National Championship with record timing

Following Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson's withdrawal from the 2025 USATF Championships, Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden dominated the 100m races. The USA Track and Field Championships are scheduled from Thursday, July 31, to Saturday, August 3, at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden dominated the sprinting event to earn a spot at the 2025 World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo in September. Lyles dominated the first round of heats with 10.05 seconds. However, he decided to withdraw from the further rounds to focus on his 200m race. The decision was taken as Lyles has earned the bye to compete at the WAC as a defending champion.

Sha'Carri Richardson pulled out from competing in the further rounds after an unfortunate event came to light involving her arrest for allegedly committing domestic violence on her boyfriend, Christian Coleman, ahead of her participation in the Championships.

Let's take a look at Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden's impressive performances at the National Championships.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden dominated the women's 100m with a world lead in the absence of Sha'Carri Richardson

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Getty Images)

The Paris Olympics bronze medalist, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, topped the 100m lineup at the Hayward Field on Friday, August 1, 2025. The 24-year-old sprinter earned the spot in the final after settling in second place in the overall heats by clocking 10.86 seconds. In the final round, the American athlete posted a remarkable time of 10.65 seconds. Her winning time marked her personal best, a new world lead, and the fifth-best time in U.S. history, tying with Sha'Carri Richardson and former sprinter Marion Jones.

Jefferson-Wooden has been proving her prospect as a fierce competitor in the 100m since the Paris Games, where she collected a bronze medal in the individual and a gold in the 4x100m relay with Richardson, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas. Like Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson has earned a bye in the 100m at the World Championships as a defending champion.

Kenny Bednarek stuns in men's 100m as Noah Lyles fixes his sights on 200m

Kenny Bednarek during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Getty Images)

Kenny Bednarek dominated the 100m at the 2025 USATF Championships, while Noah Lyles stayed absent to prioritize the 200m. Bednarek also dominated the heat and the semifinal rounds with 9.95 s and 9.90s, respectively. He bettered the timing in the final round with a striking personal best of 9.79s. Bednarek will compete in the World Championships in Tokyo to earn his first 100m medal.

Edited by Samya Majumdar