MELISSA BISHOP-NRIAGU: A PROMISING COMEBACK IN PROGRESS

BY BRIAN POUND

BURNABY—In the world of track and field there are remarkable stories of women athletes who have gone on to amazing performances following giving birth, women such as distance runner Kara Goucher, hurdler Nia Ali, heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and British Columbia high jumper Debbie Brill.

Now, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu is looking at joining this elite circle. She got a good start at it on May 18 at the Johnny Loaring Classic in Windsor, Ontario, winning the women’s 1500-metres in a remarkable 4:09.36, remarkable because it was her first competitive race in two years. Her time broke her own meet mark of 4:09.58, set in 2017, as she finished 12 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Melissa will enhance her comeback on June 20 competing at the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International track classic at Swangard Stadium. It will be her tenth appearance at the meet, where she holds the meet 800 metre record of 1:58.79, set in 2016. Tickets for the Jerome meet are available at harryjerome.com/tickets.

A two-time Olympian (2012, 2016), silver medalist in the 800 at the 2015 world championships and national women’s 800 metre record holder (1: 57.01), Melissa married former Canadian long jumper Osi Nriagu in 2017 and she gave birth to a daughter, Corinne, in 2018. She resumed training at her home in Windsor ten weeks after giving birth.

On her weekend return to racing, Melissa said: “I’m happy to see the result. It’s what I was hoping for. It shows my fitness is coming along but we still have lots of work ahead of us.

“I have confidence now in the work I’ve put in the last ten months since having Corinne. Now the goal is to keep working really hard and stay healthy.”

Melissa plans on competing in just one meet prior to the Jerome event, 800 metres in Guelph. After that it’s a “wait and see” schedule and “take things as they come along.”

Certainly, though, her sites will be on the national championships in late July, the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, July 26-August 11, where she is the defending 800 metre champion, and the world championships September 28-October 6 in Doha, Qatar.

Melissa’s current training schedule consists of 5-6 hours seven days a week and she hopes that will lead to running consistent sub-two minute 800 metre races.

She has already accomplished one goal in her comeback, don’t bet against her accomplishing the others.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Accreditation to the Jerome meet is available at harryjerome.com/contact.