Prefontaine Classic 2025: Top upsets ft. Sha'Carri Richardson

The 50th edition of the Eugene Prefontaine Classic saw a slew of upsets. From Sha'Carri Richardson finishing last to Matthew Hudson-Smith winning the 400m, everyone was surprised at the turn of events at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

The day began with the first major upset in the 100m event. Even though Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson was expected to lead the event, no one expected him to overcome the challenge from Christian Coleman easily. Coleman barely managed to avoid humiliation, finishing seventh out of nine runners.

However, Coleman's girlfriend and Olympic champion, Sha'Carri Richardson, wasn't that lucky. In a near repeat of the Diamond League finals last year, Richardson finished last among the nine runners despite recording a seasonal best timing of 11.19 seconds. Richardson's teammate and Olympic medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the race, defeating Olympic champion Julien Alfred by a close margin of 0.02 seconds.

The men's 400m hurdles event at the Eugene Prefontaine Classic also witnessed a significant upset. Alison dos Santos of Brazil ran a seasonal best timing of 46.65 seconds to overcome the challenge posed by Olympic champion Rai Benjamin from the USA. Benjamin finished second, with a time of 46.71 seconds.

The following are some of the significant upsets from the Eugene Prefontaine Classic:

---

The major upsets from the Eugene Prefontaine Classic ft. Sha'Carri Richardson

1) Women's 100m

Melissa Jefferson after winning the Prefontaine Classic 100m event [Image Source: Getty]

The most talked-about upset at the Prefontaine Classic was undoubtedly the women's 100m event. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has been one of the most consistent performers over the last year.

However, in a field of sprinters like Julien Alfred and Sha'Carri Richardson, no one expected Jefferson to surprise everyone by winning the race with moments to spare. The Olympic bronze medalist edged out Olympic champion Julien Alfred in an intense finish, where Jefferson finished with a time of 10.75 seconds, and Alfred finished second with a time of 10.77 seconds. Richardson finished last amongst the nine runners.

---

2) Men's 100m

Kishane Thompson winning the Prefontaine Classic Men's 100m event [Image Source: Getty]

Another significant upset occurred in the men's 100m event. Though Kishane Thompson was the top favorite, veteran sprinter Christian Coleman was expected to give a tough run for the money.

However, the former world champion looked out of form. Despite a seasonal best performance of 10.06 seconds, the American sprinter finished only seventh out of the nine runners in the fray. Thompson won the race with a decent time of 9.85 seconds.

---

3) Men's 400m

Matthew Hudson-Smith after crossing the finish line at the Prefontaine Classic [Image Source : Getty]

With Quincy Hall not competing at the Prefontaine Classic, the stage was set for a major upset at the men's 400m event, and Matthew Hudson-Smith didn't waste this opportunity at all.

With a seasonal best performance of 44.10 seconds, the British sprinter overcame the world indoor champion Christopher Bailey to win the gold medal. Former Olympic champion Kirani James barely managed to avoid the last position with a time of 44.80 seconds, finishing seventh out of eight runners.

---

4) Men's 400m Hurdles

Alison dos Santos at the Prefontaine Classic [Source: Getty]

No one expected the Brazilian hurdler to win the race, with Rai Benjamin in competition. However, the Olympic bronze medalist proved everyone wrong with a seasonal best performance of 46.65 seconds.

Benjamin finished second with a timing of 46.71 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel of Nigeria finished third with a timing of 47.88 seconds.

---

5) Women's 800m

Tsige Duguma reacts after winning the women's 800m event at the Prefontaine Classic [Image Source: Getty]

One of the biggest upsets at the Prefontaine Classic, however, was loading in the women's 800m event. Though the Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson wasn't available, Athing Mu was all set to prove her mettle after a long time.

However, the former Olympic champion couldn't sustain the momentum and finished last out of the 10 runners who completed the race, with a time of 2:03.44 minutes.

On the other hand, Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia, who had lost the Olympic gold medal to Hodgkinson last year, overcame the challenge to win the race with an impressive timing of 1:57.10 minutes.

---

6) Women's Shot Put

Chase Jackson after winning the women's shot put [Image Source: Getty]

Another unexpected upset that occurred at the Eugene Prefontaine Classic came from the women's shot put. Despite the absence of Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye and bronze medalist Song Jiayuan, former world champion Chase Jackson registered one of the strongest comebacks after a forgettable outing at the Paris Olympics last year.

Jackson threw the iron ball a vast distance of 20.94m, setting a new meet record at the event. Sarah Mitton, who recently won the gold medal at the World Indoor Championships, finished second with a throw of 20.39m, while Jaida Ross of the USA finished third with a best attempt of 20.13m.