World Medallists Francis, Naser, Felix Setup Rematch In Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, UK — The top three finishers in the women’s 400-metres at the 2017 IAAF World Championships have setup a quick rematch at the IAAF Diamond League in Birmingham on 20 August.
World champion Phyllis Francis of USA, silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain and American Allyson Felix, who grabbed the bronze medal in that race, will face-off again in the one-lap event this weekend.
Francis upset the field when setting a personal best of 49.92 seconds to win the gold medal in London, while Naser set personal bests in all three rounds en route to claiming the silver in a national record time of 50.06secs.
Felix ran 50.08 for the bronze medal after entering the event as one of the pre-race favourites.
“I’ve competed many times in Birmingham and the meets there are always fantastic,” Felix said.
“So I think the Muller Grand Prix Birmingham will be the perfect event to wrap up my summer of competitions in the UK.”
The American added: “The meet is just a week after the end of the World Championships, so a lot of new medallists from London will be competing and it will be a real party atmosphere.
“I know the crowd will give everyone a great welcome, as they always do, so it should be fun.”
The three are expected to be well challenged by Jamaican trio Chrisann Gordon, Shericka Jackson and Novlene Williams-Mills.
Jackson, the Olympic bronze medallist and Williams-Mills both made the 400m final at the world championships, while Gordon, the NCAA champion just missed making the medal race in London.
Another American, Courtney Okolo, who has a season’s best of 50.29 and Great Britain’s Zoey Clark, make up the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, World Championships 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson of Australia and Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo from the Bahamas are both set to compete in the women’s 100m.
The pair are expected to face the likes of Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands and world silver medallist over the 100m, Marie-Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast.
Other highlighted athletes in the event are world 100m finalist Rosângela Santos of Brazil and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who was fourth in the 200m inside the London Stadium.
