Melissa Bishop: 800m

Name: Melissa Bishop
Hometown: Eganville, Ont.
Club: Ottawa Lions
Coach: Ray Elrick, Dennis Fairall
Age: 23
Personal Best: 1:59.82

Melissa Bishop of Eganville, Ont., is no stranger to the Canadian running scene. Unlike most high performing middle distance runners in Canada, Bishop opted to attend University on this side of the border. She began her career at the University of Ottawa having been a long time runner for the Ottawa Lions and moved down to the University of Windsor in her second year.

During the indoor university season, Bishop raced the 600m as well as the 1000m, however, her best distance has always been the 800m. Her personal bests are 1:30.48 in the 600m and 2:47.04 in the 1000m. She won four medals at her best CIS championship meet. Throughout the indoor season, Bishop would often head down to the United States to get in some strong 800m races.

Bishop had an outstanding spring season and continued to cut time off her personal best until she reached 1:59.82 on June 1, under this year’s Olympic “A” standard for the 800 meter of 1.59.90. She was just the third woman in Canadian history to break the two-minute barrier. (Jessica Smith became the fourth woman to do it when she ran 1:59.86 at Harry Jerome.) Bishop had already met the ‘Rising-Star’ criteria, having previously achieved two “B” standards. Bishop trains in Windsor with her coach Dennis Fairall.

In this interview with FloTrack, Bishop credits her decision to take the the year off school and focus on training as the reason for her breakthrough this season.

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Related Link:
Canadian women’s 800m stars slip under radar