Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won three gold medals at Tokyo 2025 World Championships. Image: Imago

Three-time world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has shared how she turned around her career through a switch of mindset heading into the 2025 season.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden made history at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo’s National Stadium.

She first shattered the championship record in the 100m to become the fastest American woman alive, then stormed to another victory in the 200m.

To cap it all off, she anchored the American women’s 4x100m relay team to a gold medal. For the 24-year-old, this incredible triple triumph was fueled by a powerful and optimistic mindset.

Appearing on Jennifer Hudson’s talk show on Friday, Jefferson-Wooden proudly wore her medals and shared insights into her Tokyo success. When asked about her winning mentality, the South Carolina native explained her pre-race ritual.

“When I get to the line, you know, I always tell myself before, or once the starter says ‘On your marks’, I’m just like, ‘Here we go,’” she said.

However, she revealed a crucial shift in her approach this season. “This year, what I did was I just told myself, ‘You know, you’ve lined up with all these amazing ladies many times before, and the outcome wasn’t necessarily what I wanted.’”

This new determination carried her through the entire season. Every time she stepped on the track, her mantra was, “If they beat you before, they won’t get you again.”

The Tokyo World Championships also marked Jefferson-Wooden’s debut in the 200m at a major event. She explained that an Achilles rupture during the 2024 Olympic trials had prevented her from building the necessary strength for the longer sprint in Paris. Making the 100m team that year was a “pat on the back,” but she felt she had the willpower to achieve more.

Determined to compete in the 200m, Jefferson-Wooden met with her coaches to express her desire to train more seriously for the event. That commitment paid off, leading her to the top of the podium three times in Tokyo. Yet, despite her phenomenal success, a hint of regret remained.

In an interview with Shannon Sharpe last month, Jefferson-Wooden reflected on her 100m record. Her time of 10.61 seconds is the fourth-fastest in history, trailing only Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose world record of 10.49 has stood since 1988.

When Sharpe brought up how close she was, the world champion couldn’t hide her slight disappointment.

She believes she could have broken the 10.6-second barrier with more favorable conditions, such as a +1.5 m/s tailwind.

“It was the fastest I’ve ever run, but I look at the race and I still see areas where I could have improved,” Jefferson-Wooden stated. “Like I probably could have been a tad bit more explosive coming out of the blocks.”

While the 24-year-old double sprint champion has already proven her dominance, her historic season has only fueled her ambition. Jefferson-Wooden now has her sights set on an even greater challenge: breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s long-standing 100m world record.