Gill out of Belfast meet but top Canadian signs up

The Canadian, now coached in Edinburgh by 1988 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Mark Rowland, had an injury-affected campaign in 2022 and 2023. She didn't compete in Paris last year, is now very much on the comeback trail.

"Gabriela's 3,000m personal best is a very fast 8:33.92 and she is looking for an 8:40 pace on 10 May so I'm sorting the pacemakers to give her every opportunity to do that," added Christie.

"She actually heard about the meeting and contacted me asking if she could get a spot and obviously I'm only too delighted to accommodate an athlete of such quality."

Sam Reardon, Great Britain's double Olympic relay medallist from Paris, is among other big names who will race in Belfast.

The 21-year-old will compete over the 400m, while the men's 800m field includes last year's winner Callum Dodds and his fellow Great Britain internationals Daniel Rowden and Tom Randolph.

Dodds broke one minute and 45 seconds for the first time to clinch victory in a track record of 1:44.79 at last year's meet as Randolph also went under 1:45, but Rowden will be the quickest man on personal bests in the 800m field by virtue of his personal best of 1:43.95 from 2023.

With Gill ruled out, Great Britain's double European junior cross country champion Innes FitzGerald will lead the women's 1500m entries while the women's 800m field will include previous Belfast Milers Meet winner Louise Shanahan, Czech champion Kimberley Ficenec and Scotland's Erin Wallace, who clocked 2:00.23 to finish second behind Gill last year.

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