Women take fast lane for showpiece

THE world’s fastest women will go head-to-head in the last big sprint showdown of the year, on UK soil, at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham next week.

Five of the eight 100-metre finalists from the World Championships in London, including silver and bronze medallists Marie-Josée Ta Lou, of Ivory Coast, and Dutch star Dafne Schippers, will be part of a stacked field at the Alexander Stadium on August 20.

World 100m and 200m silver medallist from 2013, Muriel Ahouré, of Ivory Coast, Michelle-Lee Ahye, of Trinidad and Tobago, and Roseangela Santos, of Brazil, will also be in the line-up.

The home challenge will come from Britain’s fastest woman, Dina Asher-Smith, European indoor 60m champion Asha Philip and fellow Olympic 4x100m relay bronze medallists, Daryll Neita and Desiree Henry.

Ta Lou ran a personal best of 10.86 secs, finishing just one-hundredth-of-a-second behind the winner, Tori Bowie of the USA, in a dramatic 100m final at the London Stadium on Sunday night, which saw the overwhelming favourite, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, finish fifth after a poor start.

Ta Lou, who was fourth at the Olympic Games in Rio over 200m last year, said: “I am just happy to have this medal.”

Schippers clocked 10.96 secs to take the third spot from lane nine. The Dutch 2015 world 200m champion is looking to defend her title in London, before travelling to Birmingham for her last British race of the outdoor season at the IAAF Diamond League meet.

Newly-crowned London 2017 women’s pole vault world champion, Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece, silver medallist Sandi Morris, of the USA, and joint bronze medallists, Yarisley Silva of Cuba and Robeilys Peinado of Venezuela, are expected to provide a great show for the crowd when they get on the runway in Birmingham.

All three of the men’s shot put medallists from London will also compete at the Alexander Stadium.