The Japan Times - 'Underdog' Jefferson-Wooden shrugs off Tokyo worlds pressure

The 24-year-old became the first woman since 2003 to win the 100-200m double at the US trials earlier this month.

Her personal best of 10.65 seconds in the 100m, making her the joint-fifth-fastest woman in history, is the world lead, meaning she'll head to the Japanese capital with a target on her back having also won all eight of her races in the blue riband event this year.

"I don't see it that way. I don't feel the pressure of being top favourite," Jefferson-Wooden said ahead of Friday's Diamond League meet in Brussels.

"Even though I do have the fastest times, I don't have the accolades -- I'm 'only' the Paris bronze medallist. I don't have an Olympic or world title to defend. That's a lot more pressure."

Jefferson-Wooden is slightly unusual in that she did not attend a top college, the Georgetown, South Carolina, native instead attending the little-known Coastal Carolina University.

That did not prevent her from sealing prestigious NCAA titles in the 100m outdoors and 60m indoors.

"I actually grew up in a small town as well, so being the underdog, or facing adversity and not having access to all the other resources that bigger schools and other cities may have, it's nothing that's new to me," she said.

"It's who I am. It's what drives me to be the person that I am right now.

"I not only cherish and admire the journey that I've taken, but I'm absolutely in love with it because... no matter what may come my way, whatever anybody may have to say, I'm built for it."

- Be the best Melissa -

Jefferson-Wooden will be up against Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Brussels.

"I just ran into her in the hotel restaurant and she congratulated me on all my fast times this year," she said of the 38-year-old Jamaican, who has three Olympic and 10 world golds to her name.

"I thought that was really cool. 'I just want to be like you,' I told her. She's been running those times for years."

Jefferson-Wooden added: "It's crazy how life comes full circle. Three years ago the Silesia Diamond League meet was my first as a professional athlete.

"Shelly-Ann actually ran and for me to come three years later (last week in Chorzow) and tie her meet record was definitely like, 'OK, I think I'm doing the things that I'm supposed to do'."

Seeing at close quarters how Fraser-Pryce dominated that 2022 season "did nothing but motivate me to be at least half of the person or half of the woman that she has been for our sport", Jefferson-Wooden said.

"It's very, very inspiring for me," she said, adding however that she was unsure whether she'd be able to mirror the Jamaican's longevity.

"I used to think that I wanted to run for that long, but the older I get, then I don't know if I want to do that. I'm just going to keep riding this train and see how long it goes.

"I'm also just very grateful to be able to share a stage with her."

Fraser-Pryce labelled Jefferson-Wooden "fantastic".

"She's already run 10.65 this year," she said. "I know what it feels like to run 10.6, and I know the kind of work that you have to put in to actually run 10.6."

Jefferson-Wooden put her improved form down to discipline.

"I don't want to have any regrets," she said. "I want to be able to say that when we get to the world championships I gave it everything I had, I did the best job that I could possibly do and was the best Melissa I could be."

H.Takahashi--JT