British record-holder faces Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Sha’Carri Richardson at Müller Grand Prix Gateshead on May 23

The women’s 100m line-up in the opening Wanda Diamond League event of 2021 features a sizzling clash between the world’s top sprinters as Dina Asher-Smith takes on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Sha’Carri Richardson.

The British record-holder, who won the world 200m title in Doha in 2019, has not raced since stretching her legs in a couple of indoor 60m races in Germany in January. So the May 23 showdown will be a great test to see how well her winter’s training has gone ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m so excited to be running at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead,” said Asher-Smith. “It’s going to be my first Diamond League of 2021 and my first Diamond League since 2019 and I can’t wait. It’s been a long time coming!

“I’m so excited to get back out there, running the 100m. It’s going to be so much fun. So 23^rd of May, here we come!”

She could hardly have picked a tougher test to open her summer season.

Fraser-Pryce won Olympic 100m gold in 2008 and 2012, whereas in 2019 she beat Asher-Smith in Doha to claim her fourth world 100m title.

Fraser-Pryce’s fellow Jamaican, Thompson-Herah, is the reigning Olympic 100m and 200m champion.

In-form American Richardson, meanwhile, clocked a sensational 10.72 earlier this month to go sixth on the world all-time rankings – just behind Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah, who both have PBs of 10.70.

The first Wanda Diamond League event of 2021 was due to take place in Rabat but has been moved to Gateshead due to the coronavirus pandemic. It means Gateshead International Stadium will be staging its first international grand prix meeting since 2010 and it will offer welcome competitive opportunities to an estimated 40-plus British athletes ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

These include athletes on the Futures Academy Programme supported by Nike such as Amy Hunt. The world under-18 record-holder for 200m is part of the 100m field in Gateshead with Asher-Smith – a line-up that is so busy it will require heats in the early part of the programme before a final later at the end of the meeting at around 9pm.

Over the years there have been many historic performances at Gateshead International Stadium. In 2006 Asafa Powell equalled the 100m world record of 9.77 seconds, while Brendan Foster smashed the 3000m world record there with 7:35.2 in 1974. In the field, world pole vault records have been broken at Gateshead by Daniela Bartova in 1995 and Yelena Isinbayeva in 2003 and 2004.

So fast times could be in store, although as usual the athletes will be at the whim of the notoriously unpredictable weather in North East England.

The event will be broadcast live internationally from 7pm-9pm, but the meeting will start at 6pm with a series of para athletics events, as well as some of the Wanda Diamond League field competitions.

As for tickets, they are due to go on sale on May 10 and the organisers are hoping to welcome as many fans as possible in line with the latest UK Government roadmap announcement. To register, CLICK HERE