"You are that girl"- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden gets real about Sha'Carri Richardson’s reaction to her historic 100m run at USA Championships

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 14 - Source: Getty
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha'Carri Richardson at Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 14 - Source: Getty

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden reflected on being congratulated by her training partner and reigning 100m world champion, Sha'Carri Richardson, after winning the national title in the 100m. The USATF outdoor national championships were held from July 31 to August 3, with the women’s 100m final taking place on Friday, August 1.

Ad

Jefferson-Wooden ran a personal best of 10.65 seconds to clinch the title, followed by training partner Kayla White, who also ran a personal best of 10.84s and Aleia Hobbs, who finished third in 10.92s. All three qualified for the World Championships in Tokyo this September. Meanwhile, Sha'Carri Richardson, who advanced out of her first-round heat on Thursday, withdrew from Friday’s semifinals. However, as the reigning world champion, Richardson has a bye to the world team.

Ad

After the race, Sha'Carri Richardson congratulated her, and Jefferson-Wooden reflected on how much it meant, saying:

“Yeah, it was actually Sha’Carri. She was congratulating me. She was like, ‘10.65, oh my gosh, that’s crazy. You are that girl.’ It meant so much, you know, hearing that from her. We train together every day, and so for her to be able to call me and express how hyped my race made her, you know, means all the world. We’re going to be in Tokyo together, so it’s only a matter of time before we all get to line up and bask in that glory one more time.”
Ad
Ad

In the women’s 100m final at the Paris Olympics, Julien Alfred won gold with a time of 10.72s, Sha'Carri Richardson took silver and Melissa Jefferson earned the bronze medal.


Christian Coleman defends his girlfriend Sha'Carri Richardson following her arrest for domestic violence offense

2025 USATF Outdoor Championships - Source: Getty
2025 USATF Outdoor Championships - Source: Getty

Shortly before the USATF Nationals, Sha'Carri Richardson was allegedly charged with assaulting her boyfriend and fellow sprinter Christian Coleman at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State. Coleman declined to press charges, and Richardson was released the next day after her arrest on July 28, 2025.

Ad

Following the incident, Sha'Carri Richardson withdrew from the USATF Nationals, while Coleman competed and finished fifth in the men’s 100m final. In a post-race interview, Coleman addressed the situation, saying:

"It was just a sucky situation all around. Like, I don’t feel as if she should have been arrested. She’s a human being and a great person. We’ve been really good teammates all year, and I hate that narrative too because, you know, us coming together, we’re just two really dominant personalities. She’s, to me, the best female athlete in the world. I see it every day.”

The two athletes have been dating for two years and made their relationship public in February this year. Christian Coleman missed qualifying for the 100m at this year’s World Championships, having won the 2019 world title with a time of 9.76s.

Quick Links

Edited by Luke Koshi
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications