When you’re the reigning Olympic champ, everyone’s chasing your crown. And Gabby Thomas knows the feeling better than anyone. After all, she walked into the Grand Slam Track meet in Philly as the world’s fastest woman in the 200m this season, fresh off a 21.60s performance. Everyone wanted a piece of her. But come Day 1 at Franklin Field, there was no trace of the city of brotherly love. Why? Well, that’s because in a stunner that no one saw coming, it was Melissa Jefferson-Wooden who shocked the champ.

Jefferson-Wooden lit up the track with a personal best of 21.99 seconds, not only beating Gabby Thomas (who finished second at 22.10) but also setting the fastest 200m time ever run at Franklin Field. And yes, this is the same Melissa who usually dominates the shorter sprints. “Even though I’m primarily a 100m runner, the workouts we do prep me for the 200m,” she said. And this time, all that off-distance grinding paid off big. Her post-race reaction? Pure gold, where she revealed the secret behind her win.

“I got out really good. Once I got to where the Grand Slam Track sign was, I told myself, okay, this is your moment—get off the curve, don’t break your form, and just run through the line literally as fast as you can. Do not break form. Do not break form. Do not break form. Lean at the line.” And she did. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is no longer holding back.

She’s finally learning to stop doubting herself in the 200m. “Sometimes I kind of shy away from it… But now I’m learning to embrace it. I know these 200s are going to do nothing but help my hundred.” True! Running the 200m helps a sprinter become better at the 100m because it builds speed endurance, the ability to maintain top speed for longer.

In the 100m, runners start fast and try to keep that speed, but by the last part of the race, fatigue can slow them down. Training for the 200m strengthens muscles and teaches the body to hold speed even when tired, which helps the 100m finish stronger. The 200m also improves running technique, especially since part of the race is run on a curve.

This helps athletes develop better balance, control, and efficient form, which means less wasted energy in the 100m. But let’s be clear: winning that $100,000 prize won’t come easy, not now, anyway! Melissa Jefferson-Wooden knows this well. Because prize money is based on points! And Jefferson-Wooden just racked up 12 GST points with that win.

Meanwhile, Gabby Thomas earned 8, bringing both women closer to the coveted $100,000 GST championship prize. The stakes couldn’t be higher. With only one race left on June 1, all eyes will be on the epic 100m showdown between these two sprint queens. But it’s not just them; sprinters like Tamari Davis and Dina Asher-Smith are also in the mix, ready to shake things up.

So the big question: Can Gabby Thomas win in the 100m? After all, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden usually dominates the 100m, but can she hold off Gabby on her home turf?

Gabby Thomas and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s race for $100K

Gabby Thomas and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden have been going head-to-head all season, and honestly, it’s been one of the most exciting rivalries in sprinting right now. Gabby is running extremely fast; her fastest time in the 100m this year is 10.97 seconds, and her best 200m time is 21.95 seconds. Melissa is keeping strong, with a great 100m time of 10.75 and now a personal record of 21.99 in the 200m.

They are also not too far apart in their best results. The fastest 200m Gabby recorded was 21.60 seconds, and in 100m it was 10.97 seconds. On the other hand, Melissa has the best time of 10.80 seconds in the 100m race. They each have traded off periods of wins. Melissa claimed the 100m victory in Miami GST with a 10.75, which was better than Gabby’s, yet Gabby came out on top in the 200m race there.

Maybe even more importantly, both of them have won Olympic medals. Gabby earned first place in Paris last year, and Melissa brought back bronze and gold for the relay. Yes, they excel when they are on stage. Now, it’s all coming down to the final race on July 1st, where they’ll go head-to-head again in the 100m.

Melissa’s been training hard in Central Florida with Sha’Carri Richardson, building up her confidence and owning both the 100m and 200m. The tension is real, and fans everywhere are wondering who’s going to take the crown and make history. Can Gabby Thomas reclaim her spot? Or will Melissa keep leaving her in the dust? Can’t wait to see!