Asher-Smith To Face World’s Best In Stellar Birmingham Showdown

Britain’s top female sprinter Dina Asher-Smith will face the best sprinter in the world, double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, over 60m at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February. Elaine Thompson was the shining star of the Rio Olympic Games winning gold in the 100m and 200m sprints. Dina Asher-Smith is Britain’s fastest ever female sprinter and finished fifth over 200m at the Olympic Games in Rio in August.

Asher-Smith said: “I can't wait for the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham. The race is always high quality and will be a key part of my preparations building up to the European Indoor Championships and the London 2017 World Championships! I can't wait to see everyone there."

The Muller Indoor Grand Prix is the number one indoor meeting in the world and the event at the Barclaycard Arena is a key competition at the start of an important year for top class athletes and includes the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade and the IAAF World Championships in London.

Dina added: “Being able to compete at home in front of such a warm and knowledgeable crowd in Birmingham is always special for me and I know that it will be amazing this year.”

Elaine Thompson set a 60m personal best at this event in Glasgow last January and previously had set a 200m personal best at the Anniversary Games in 2015, but this will be her first visit to the Midlands.

She said: “2016 was an amazing year for me and I want to carry on my form into next year, which is another really important year. I have good memories of this event after setting a personal best last year and hopefully in Birmingham I can challenge my PB and maybe get close to going under seven seconds.

I love competing in the UK, this is one of the best events in the world and the fans are always amazing.”

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham is a vital event for British athletes as they prepare for a year which will include two global championships in the UK; the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships London 2017.