Jefferson-Wooden flawless for 200m title in last day of US championships

NEW YORK, July 26 : Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed the 200 metres prize in a pristine sprint on the final day of the U.S. national championships on Sunday, where the world champion Noah Lyles pulled up short on the men's side.

Jefferson-Wooden completed the sprint double in Tokyo last year and was near the top of her form as she blitzed through the first half of the race and crossed the line in 21.69 seconds, one hundredth of a second off her personal best.

Cambrea Sturgis was a distant second in 22.22 while Camryn Dickson (22.58) took third.

"Going up to the line, I just told myself, 'Just let each phase of the race come to you. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just go out there and when the gun goes off, let it rip'," said Jefferson-Wooden. "And that's what I did."

Lyles gave the fans a fright when he pulled up with a leg cramp down the final straight, sending audible gasps through the stands at Icahn Stadium. The winner of the 100m earlier in the championships later said he was okay, citing the intense workload he put on himself. 

Garrett Kaalund won in 20.04 seconds while Brandon Hicklin took second in 20.29 and Maximilian Thomas finished two thousandths of a second slower for third.

ATHLETES ABSENT IN 'OFF YEAR'

An "off year" with no Olympics or worlds deprived the competition of its usual suspense, marking the first time since 2018 the U.S. nationals did not serve as a selection meet for the two global competitions.

The New York crowd also took time to warm up to the event — which was held in the five boroughs for the first time in more than three decades — and sparse early attendance gave way to a packed house for Sunday's finale.

Some of the sport's top names were absent, including the reigning women's and men's