Schippers & Barshim to join World Champs celebration at Muller Grand Prix Birmingham

Reigning 200m world champion Dafne Schippers will go head-to-head with Britain’s finest sprinters in a post-world championship celebration showdown at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on Sunday 20 August.

A host of Olympic and world medallists will compete at the prestigious IAAF Diamond League meeting, which be the culmination of an outstanding summer of global athletics events in the UK and include Mo Farah’s last ever track race on home soil.

Schippers will take on Britain’s fastest ever woman Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie) and European Indoor 60m champion Asha Philip (Steve Fudge) over 100m at the Alexander Stadium.

The Dutch sprint star will be hoping to have added more world medals to her collection over both 100m and 200m in London the week before.

Schippers said: “The Müller Grand Prix Birmingham will be a fantastic celebration for the athletes and a fitting end to an amazing season of athletics in the UK.

“It will be great to have a race later in the season against the best sprinters in a fun and celebratory atmosphere and I know the athletes will put on a spectacular show for the crowd.”

Olympic high jump silver medallist Mutaz Barshim of Qatar will also compete at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, against home favourite and long-term rival Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan).

Grabarz finished in joint fourth behind Barshim in Rio last year and was joint Olympic bronze medallist with the Qatari athlete and Derek Drouin of Canada at London 2012.

Barshim and Birmingham-based Grabarz will each want to come out on top at both the IAAF World Championships and the Diamond League meet on 20 August.

Barshim, the 2013 world silver medallist said: “I love competing in the UK so to have another chance to compete there at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham is fantastic.

“I hope I will be celebrating winning another World Championship medal by the time I get to Birmingham and I will be trying my best to jump well.”

The Müller Grand Prix Birmingham is supported by Birmingham City Council and takes place exactly one week after the end of the IAAF World Championships in London which run from 4-13 August.