Jefferson-Wooden ends Julien Alfred's unbeaten 100m season at Silesia Diamond League

CASTRIES, St Lucia. American sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden handed Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia her first 100m defeat of the season at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on August 23.

Jefferson-Wooden ran a season's best of 10.78 seconds to win, with Alfred second in 10.83. Sha'Carri Richardson was third in 10.96 seconds.

Jamaica's Brianna Lyston was fourth, also in 10.96 seconds, after a photo finish. Her compatriots Tina Clayton and Tia Clayton were sixth and ninth in 11.01 and 11.24 seconds respectively.

A renewed rivalry

The race was the first 100m meeting between the two sprinters since last year's World Championships in Tokyo, where Jefferson-Wooden took gold in a championship record of 10.61 seconds and Alfred won bronze in 10.84.

Despite the defeat, Alfred praised her rival and said she had missed racing at that level.

"Running in a race of this quality feels amazing, I missed it a lot. Melissa is a great athlete and she deserves a lot of respect," Alfred said.

More races ahead

The St Lucian said she was looking ahead to the rest of her season.

"I still have Zurich, the 200m in Brussels and the 100m at the Ultimate Championships to come. I hope that in Zurich I will race better," she said.

"It is the start; if I get better there then I can win. There's a lot to work on," Alfred added.