Bishop-Nriagu, Kelly to compete in 800-metre heats in Tokyo Thursday night
An Olympic hero from the Ottawa Valley is set to appear at her third Olympic Games Thursday night, as Eganville’s Melissa Bishop-Nriagu will race in the women’s 800-metre event.
Parents Doug and Alison Bishop have been here before, having watched their daughter compete at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 games, but they say it never gets easier.
“Always nervous, and pretty excited at the same time, obviously,” says Doug Bishop, of watching his daughter compete at the Olympics. “But you’re always on the edge; what’s going to happen, we don’t know.”
Bishop-Nriagu, ranked 27th in the world, is set to race in Heat 3 Thursday night, which is slated to begin at 9:41 p.m. ET. Teammate and fellow Ottawa Valley Olympian Madeleine Kelly from Pembroke, ranked 50th in the world, will race in Heat 1 at 9:25 p.m. ET.
For Kelly, it will be her first Olympic Games. Kelly won bronze at the Canadian Olympic Trials to earn her spot in Tokyo.
“It's very exciting you know that we've worked so hard for this,” says Bishop-Nriagu. “2020 was tough; I mean we found out that the Olympics were cancelled and so we've all had to go back to the drawing board and figure out how we're going to train through this. And I think ultimately we've all come out of this stronger, fitter, faster, and mentally stronger too.”
Bishop-Nriagu is the pride of Eganville, Ontario, competing at her third Olympic Games, as well as winning gold at the Pan Am games in 2015, silver at the AAF World Championships in 2015, and holding the Canadian women’s 800-metre record at 1:57:01.
“Not only is she making her small town proud, she’s making it possible for any athlete from anywhere in Canada feel like they can accomplish something,” says her former running coach Andrew Page.
“It’s the most wonderful place to be, most wonderful place,” Alison Bishop says of the small town of Eganville. “Wonderful people, have been always behind her, from high school right through.”
Due to the pandemic, the Bishops could not travel to Tokyo to watch their daughter compete. In previous years, there have been watch parties hosted in town but Thursday evening the couple plan to spend the night quietly in front of their TV.
“That’s kind of the way we like it,” laughs Doug Bishop.
Page says he’ll do the same, trying to keep his nerve the entire time, and as Bishop-Nriagu’s former coach he says the way she attacks tonight’s race will be an interesting watch.
“In the races she’s been going out and leading the races from the front, and practicing that tactic,” explains Page. “So I don’t know what she’s going to do tonight. I’m guessing she’s going to go out and lead the race. I don’t know what she’s got in store, and I don’t know if her competitors know what she’s got in store for them.”
“Go for it girls,” says Alison Bishop, cheering on her daughter and Pembroke’s Kelly. “Enjoy the Olympics, and thank you to the community for all the support.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.