Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the U.S. celebrates after winning the women's 100m Final. [Source: Reuters]

American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden capped a dominant season in some style on Sunday by winning the women’s 100 metres world title in 10.61 seconds, the fastest time ever run at a world championships and the fourth quickest of all time.

Tina Clayton confirmed her place at the front of a new generation of Jamaican sprinters by taking silver in a personal best time of 10.76, while bronze went to Olympic champion Julien Alfred in 10.84.

The race had been billed as a showdown between Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred but the American flew out of the blocks and established a lead she would never relinquish by the 50-metre mark.

She steamed home to claim her first global title and reaffirm her brilliant form in a season where she has never been beaten over 100m, nor clocked a time above 11 seconds.

Saint Lucian Alfred had been hoping to win a first world title after her gold at the Paris Olympics last year, when Jefferson-Wooden finished third.

The 24-year-old, who appeared to struggle to get going over the first 20 metres, said she had pulled a hamstring and might not race in the 200m, an event she won a silver medal in at the Paris Olympics.

Jefferson-Wooden’s compatriot Sha’Carri Richardson, who won silver in Paris, fell short in her bid to retain the title she won in Budapest two years ago and finished fifth in 10.94, her first run under 11 seconds in a disappointing season.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson pipped her to fourth in 10.88 while her teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the winner of 10 sprint world titles, signed off with sixth place in 11.03 in her final meeting before retirement.

While Jackson is also past 30, 21-year-old Clayton’s silver proved that there is plenty of promise for the future in Jamaican women’s sprinting.

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