BIRMINGHAM, UK – Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica will race over 60m at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February, organisers confirmed on Monday.
The Muller Indoor Grand Prix is the fifth and final meeting of the 2017 IAAF World Indoor Tour.
Thompson sped to victory in the women’s 100m and 200m events at the Rio Olympic Games earlier this season and also finished the competition year with the fastest times over both distances, at 10.70 and 21.78.
The 24-year-old ran a then-personal best of 7.14 seconds at the Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow last February, in her final meeting before the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
She went on to improve her lifetime best to 7.04 in the semi-finals at the championships before taking bronze in the final with 7.06.
“2016 was an amazing year for me and I want to carry on my form into next year, which is another really important year,” the Jamaican sprinter said in a release on Monday.
“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.”
At this year’s Muller Indoor Grand Prix, Thompson will line up against one of Great Britain’s finest young sprinters, Dina Asher-Smith, who holds the national record over both the 100m and 200m distances.
“I can’t wait for the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham,” Asher-Smith said.
“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 21-year-old, who won gold in the 200m at the 2016 European Championships and helped Great Britain to a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Rio, owns a personal best of 7.08 secs, which is tied for the UK 60m record with Jeanette Kwakye.
“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,” Asher-Smith added.
The athletes aren’t the only ones looking forward to this showdown.
“This showdown in Birmingham will be one of the outstanding races of the indoor season,” said Niels de Vos, Chief Executive, British Athletics.
“Elaine Thompson is the best female sprinter in the world. It is very exciting to see her race in Britain for the first time since she won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the Olympic Games in Rio.
“After Usain Bolt, there is no one better in world sprinting. Dina Asher-Smith is improving all the time and their race at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February is not to be missed.”
IAAF World Indoor Tour – 2017 Meetings
28 Jan – Boston, USA
1 Feb – Dusseldorf, GER
4 Feb – Karlsruhe, GER
10 Feb – Torun, POL
18 Feb – Birmingham, GBR
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