Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Explains Why She Was Unbothered by Missing Out on Athlos Millions

The fastest woman in the world in 2025, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, has explained why she was not disappointed watching Brittany Brown dominate the 100m and 200m at Alexis Ohanian’s women-only event, Athlos.

With her double victory, the Olympic 200m bronze medallist walked away with $120,000, winning $60,000 for both the 100m and 200m races.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden attended the event, but did not compete in any of the events, and she has disclosed that she did not feel bad after missing out on the millions earned.

“What a year it’s been. From an undefeated season in the 100m, to etching my name in history as the first American to win triple gold at the same world championships…SOMEBODY PINCH ME!” Melissa Jefferson-Wooden shared in a post on her X (Twitter) handle.

“After a lot of thought and consideration, my team and I have decided I won’t be competing at the ATHLOS Meet on October 10th. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden revealed that missing Athlos left her with a sense of ‘what if,’ acknowledging that part of her wished she had taken part.

Nonetheless, she emphasised that she felt a strong sense of satisfaction with her performances over the season and that deciding not to compete had been far from easy.

She expressed deep appreciation for the organisers, who had been highly supportive and still involved her in the event, allowing her to experience it despite not racing.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added that watching Athlos from the sidelines was both entertaining and rewarding, and she thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and fan experience throughout the event.

“I mean, you know, obviously, the competitor in me always is just kind of like, you had one more. You could have done it. But then also at the same time, I think I was just so happy with how the year went and like I said, it really wasn't an easy decision for me not to do it anymore,” she revealed in an interview with CBC Sport.

“I was also very thankful that Athlos as a whole was very, very understanding of my decision, and they still wanted me to be a part of it. They still wanted me to see it. I thought it was great from a fan perspective. I had an absolute blast.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden shared a humorous and personal anecdote about attending Athlos with her husband, Rolan Wooden II, recalling how she teased him about missing out on all the excitement while having to focus on racing.

She explained that it was an inside joke between them, highlighting the playful side of the experience. Despite not competing, she emphasised that being part of the event was still highly enjoyable, allowing her to soak in the atmosphere, appreciate the energy of the athletes and fans, and fully engage with the occasion memorably and positively.

“And actually, being out there, crazy enough, I told Rolan Wooden II, I said, ‘Man, I would have been mad seeing all this fun out here and I had to run.’ What do you mean?” she added.

“Everybody's out here having a blast, and I got to walk in, be serious, and get to line. But that was just our little inside joke. But no, I think it was great. Yeah, it was great.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s reflections highlight that her focus was never on the Athlos prize money, but on celebrating a historic season.