7th August 2017

World Sprint Medallists to go Head To Head at Muller Grand Prix Birmingham

London 2017 100m silver and bronze medallists Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Dafne Schippers will race against an exceptional field at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham on Sunday 20 August.

Ta Lou from Ivory Coast, who was fourth at the Olympic Games in Rio over 200m last year, ran a personal best of 10.86 seconds to finish with the silver medal, in a dramatic 100m final in the London Stadium.

Dutch star Schippers, the defending 200m world champion, clocked 10.96 to take the third spot.

Five of the eight finalists from the 100m final in London will be in the starting line up at the Alexander Stadium in two weeks’ time. Ta Lou and Schippers, plus 2013 world 100m and 200m silver medallist Muriel Ahouré of Ivory Coast, Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago and Roseangela Santos of Brazil.

The home challenge will come from Britain’s fastest woman Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie), European indoor 60m champion Asha Philip (Steve Fudge) and fellow Olympic 4x100m relay bronze medallists Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo) and Desiree Henry (Rana Reider).

Schippers said: “It’s been a fantastic summer for track and field events in the UK and I think the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham will be a great celebration for all the athletes after the World Championships. It’s one if the best meets in the world and there’s a really strong line up in the 100m in Birmingham.”

London 2017 women’s pole vault world champion Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece and silver medallist Sandi Morris of the USA, are expected to provide a great show for the crowd, when they get on the runway at the prestigious IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham.

Stefanidi, the 2016 Olympic champion, jumped a new national record of 4.91m to secure the world title ahead of Morris, who also took silver in Rio last year.

All three men’s shot put medallists from London, world champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand, silver medallist Joe Kovacs of the USA and bronze medallist Stipe Zunic of Croatia, will also compete at the Alexander Stadium on 20 August.

The Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, will 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.

Niels de Vos, Chief Executive of UK Athletics said: “The Alexander Stadium is an outstanding venue for athletics and the Muller Grand Prix Birmingham will be one of the best events of the summer series. Over one million people have watched world-class athletics in the UK this summer and the event in Birmingham will round off the season in the UK in style with crowds celebrating the very best in track and field.”

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.