Bednarek, Jefferson-Wooden capture 100m wins, Arop advances to 800m final at Ultimate Championship

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran a world-leading 10.62 seconds, blowing away Julien Alfred in the 100 metres at the Ultimate Championship on Saturday and winning the tiebreaker in a three-week, best-of-three series between the reigning Olympic and world champions.

Jefferson-Wooden's time edged out this year's previous best time — held by University of Georgia's Adaejah Hodge — by .01 seconds and fell short of her own personal best by the same .01. The win was good for $150,000 US, top prize for all the first-place finishers this week in Budapest.

A few minutes after her win, Kenny Bednarek sprung an upset in the men's 100, beating Olympic champion Oblique Seville to win $150,000 of his own. Bednarek won in 9.85 and has a chance for another first prize Sunday, where he's a favourite in the 200 metres.

American Bednarek crowned 100-metre World Athletics Ultimate Championship winner

Jefferson-Wooden's training partner, Sha'Carri Richardson, finished third on the same track in Budapest where she won world championships three years ago.

This one wasn't much of a contest. Jefferson-Wooden, who took the worlds last year, beat the Olympic champ by .12.

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The showdown between the women who came in tied for the second-fastest time this year was the sort of thing track was hoping for when it came up with the idea for these championships in a sport where top sprinters often find ways to avoid each other.

In this one, on a cool night in Budapest in front of a packed crowd, they got the matchup, even if Jefferson-Wooden ended the drama early.

American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden blazes to 100m win at the Ultimate Championship

Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., and Sade McCreath of Ajax,