
Prefontaine Classic highlights: Sha'Carri Richardson finishes ninth
Jefferson-Wooden got out of the blocks fast, maintained a narrow lead over Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred and was able to hold off the Olympic champion, running a winning time of 10.75. Alfred comfortably placed second at 10.77 and Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast ran a 10.90 to place third.
The race wasn't a good showing for Richardson. Richardson got a slow start and was never in contention throughout the race. She crossed the finish line in last place at 11.19.
Saturday's race was a bit of revenge for Jefferson-Wooden. Jefferson-Wooden finished third behind Alfred and Richardson at the Paris Olympics.
Here are some highlights from the 2025 Prefontaine Classic:
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominates 400
The women's 400-meter hurdles world-record holder is a force in the open 400.
McLaughlin-Levrone cruised to win the event with a season-best time of 49.43. It's the sixth fastest time in the world this year. McLaughlin-Levrone asserted herself a little over 100 meters into the race. She made up the stagger during the final turn and left the rest of the runners behind her.
McLaughlin-Levrone wasn't satisfied with her performance despite the convincing victory.
"Not my best work, honestly," McLaughlin-Levrone told NBC after the race. "This is a great indicator for us moving forward. A lot to work on, a lot to go and look back at but grateful for the win."
Fellow Americans Aaliyah Butler (49.86) and Isabella Whittaker (50.81) placed second and third, respectively.
McLaughlin-Levrone switched to the 400 this season after capturing two-straight Olympic gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles.
Botswana's Letsile Tebogo wins 200
Tebogo sprinted to victory in the men's 200.
Running out of lane 7, Tebogo ran with the pack around the turn but quickly surged by the other sprinters down the home stretch and crossed the finish line with a world-leading time of 19.76. American Courtney Lindsey came in second at 19.87 and Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando came in third, crossing the line at 19.94.
Tebogo became Botswana's first Olympic gold medalist when he beat a stacked 200 field, including Noah Lyles, at the Paris Olympics. He was the recipient of the 2024 World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year award.
Kishane Thompson makes statement in 100
The Olympic silver medalist is out to prove he's the fastest man in the world.
Jamaica's Thompson led from start to finish in the men's 100 meters, with a winning time of 9.85. Thompson got a solid start, created some distance between the rest of the field around the 50-meter mark and crossed the finish line comfortably in first place.
Britain's Zharnel Hughes took second (9.91) and American Trayvon Bromell placed third (9.94).
Thompson entered the Prefontaine Classic with the top time in the world this year at 9.75.
The Jamaican sprinter came in second just behind Noah Lyles in a photo finish at the Paris Olympics.
Faith Kipyegon breaks own world record
Kipyegon didn't become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier, but she's still the top middle-distance runner in the world.
The Kenyan ran a 3:48.68 to break her own world record in the women's 1,500.
The most decorated 1,500-meter runner in history, Kipyegon is a three-time Olympic champion in the event.
World record in women's 5,000
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet ran a 13:58.06 to set a new world record in the women's 5,000. Chebet is the first woman in history to run the 5,000 under 14 minutes. The previous world record was 14:00.21.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
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EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Faith Kipyegon of Kenya reacts after winning the Women's 1500m and sets a ... More new world record during the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images The 50th iteration of the Prefontaine Classic was nothing short of legendary. The historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is notorious for producing jaw-dropping performances, which were delivered and more yesterday afternoon. With two world records falling, field eventers winning on their final attempts, and Olympic champions being battle-tested, all of this goodness can be attributed to what track fans like to call "Hayward Magic." The 50th Prefontaine Classic is being hailed as the greatest single-day track and field meet in history. Here is a guide that takes you through the most notable and historical performances of the weekend. EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Faith Kipyegon of Kenya waves towards the crowd after winning the Women's ... More 1500m and setting a new world record during the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images Just nine days after her Breaking4 attempt in the mile, Faith Kipyegon came to Hayward Field on a mission. Kipyegon lowered her world record in the 1500 meters to 3:48.68. Forbes Faith Kipyegon Sets New World Best In The Mile By Katelyn Hutchison To set her up for an elite time, the meet had green lights around the railing of the track to indicate just how fast Kipyegon would need to go to break her world record. During the last 150 meters of the race, the Olympic champion was about three meters behind the world record target. Shifting into another gear as she soared in the homestretch, Kipyegon found enough strength to pass the lights and rewrite history once again. The three-time Olympic champion was nothing but smiles after setting another world record. Kipyegon now holds five of the top ten times in the event's history in the 1500 meters. When considering the accolades Kipyegon has earned, it is fair to include her in the conversation as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. She is the only woman to hold three world records simultaneously, has won three Olympic gold medals, four world championship titles, and has won six Diamond League finals. According to her World Athletics profile, there have been only seven times in the past 10 years at major championships where she hasn't won gold. At just 31 years old, it is clear Kipyegon has more in the tank. When she retires from track and field, her story will be a legendary one to tell. EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Beatrice Chebet of Kenya competes in the Women's 5000m during the ... More Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images Just an hour and a half before Kipyegon's record, now three-time world record holder and two-time Olympic champion, Beatrice Chebet, lit the track on fire in the 5K. Becoming the first woman to run under 14 minutes in the event, Chebet clocked a time of 13:58.06 to add another world record under her belt. Chebet had elite competition in her race, making this 5K one for the history books. Not far behind Chebet was Agnes Ngetich, another Kenyan athlete who holds the world record in the 10K road race. Ngetich ran 14:01.29, which is the third fastest of all time. In third place was the former world record holder in the event, Gudaf Tsegay, who ran 14:04.41 yesterday. Her result sits as the fourth fastest in history. It shouldn't be a surprise that Chebet earned this record. One of the world records she holds is in the 5K road race. Breaking Tsegay's record yesterday was only a matter of time for the Kenyan superstar. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Takes Down Olympic Champion Julien Alfred In A Historic 100M Race EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States reacts after winning the ... More Women's 100m during the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images The women's 100-meter dash did not fail to disappoint, featuring an Olympic-level matchup. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter dash, ran 10.75 to reign victorious over Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who ran 10.77. The 100-meter dash field for this year's Prefontaine Classic included the entire Paris Olympic podium with Alfred, Sha'Carri Richardson, and Jefferson-Wooden. Alongside them were 2025 Jamaican national champion Tina Clayton, 150-meter dash world record holder Favor Ofili, Olympic finalist and champion Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry, three-time Olympic medalist Dina Asher-Smith, five-time Olympic finalist Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, and African Championships silver medalist Maia McCoy. EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States competes in the Women's 100m ... More during the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images When the gun went off, Jefferson-Wooden had an unbeatable start. Although she was quick with her first few steps, Alfred did not shy away from the challenge. Neither woman backed down from the other's strength, fueling the competitiveness that they brought out in each other. The entire race consisted of Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred exchanging the first place spot. Just meters before they crossed the line, the Olympic bronze medalist found an extra gear to earn her first Diamond League victory. Ta Lou-Smith placed third, running 10.90. What made this race special was the headwind attached to the times. Although the rest of the field ran between 11.09 and 11.19, Jefferson-Wooden, Alfred, and Ta Lou-Smith managed to run as fast as they did with a 1.5 meters per second headwind. Negative headwinds are extremely difficult for track and field athletes to run through, as they act as a form of resistance. Despite this, Jefferson-Wooden ran the fastest time in history into a headwind that was stronger than 1.0 meters per second. Tara Davis-Woodhall Earns Diamond League Victory On Final Jump STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - JUNE 15: Tara Davis-Woodhall of Team United States competes in the Women's Long ... More Jump Final during the BAUHAUS-galan, part of the 2025 Diamond League at Olympic Stadium on June 15, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by) Getty Images Long jump Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall had fans on the edge of their seats in Hayward Field. Davis-Woodhall managed to clinch the victory in an exciting fashion, jumping 7.07 meters on her final jump to beat Olympic champion and two-time world champion Malaika Mahimbo. This was Davis-Woodhall's only seven-meter jump of the day. Mahimbo and Davis-Woodhall have an exciting jumps rivalry. These two women are the most consistent seven-meter jumpers in track and field currently. Their ability to earn medals while also continuously dominating their competition will make them difficult to beat come the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in September. The long jump field included two-time Olympic medalist Jasmine Moore and world indoor champion Claire Bryant. Bryant finished third with her best jump being 6.80 meters. Moore placed fourth with 6.71 meters. US' Joe Kovacs competes in the men's shot put event of the Diamond League athletics meeting at the ... More Olympic stadium in Rome on June 6, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The long jump was not the only field event that delivered intense competition. In the women's shot put, world champion Chase Jackson threw a tenth of a centimeter off of her American record. Jackson threw 20.94 to secure her win. Not only did Jackson almost set a new record, but five women in the field threw over 20 meters. This hasn't happened since the 1988 Olympic final. The men followed up with a similar historic feat. Two-time world champion and three-time Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs threw 22.48 in the shot put to win and set a new world lead for the season. Five men threw over 22 meters, which is the first time in history this has ever happened. Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo Proves He's Back In Form, Runs 19.76 World Lead In The 200M EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 5: Letsile Tebogo of Botswana competes in the Men's 200m during the ... More Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 5, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Getty Images The 200-meter dash Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, found his stride again at the 50th Prefontaine Classic. With the late withdrawal of his Olympic podium companion, Kenny Bednarek, who pulled out due to physical discomfort, Tebogo controlled the field, running 19.76, which is now a new world lead. Not too far behind him was world relays champion Courtney Lindsey, who ran a season's best of 19.87. Following his Olympic debut, Tebogo has not had it easy in competition this season. He started the year running a few 400-meter races and slowly transitioned into his main events, which are the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. His season opener in the 100-meter dash back in April was 10.55 seconds, which is far from typical for Tebogo. He continued to improve his time in his 100-meter races, but unfortunately, he ran 10.43 at the end of May. His 200-meter races have consistently been around the low 20-second mark this season. This is Tebogo's first race back since May. His time away from competition proved to be needed, as he looked like he was back to his old self. If the Olympic champion can keep this momentum through September, there is no reason why he won't make another world championship podium. For the complete list of results from the Prefontaine Classic, fans can find it on the Diamond League website.