Melissa Bishop-Nriagu facts for kids
Bishop at the 2016 Rio Olympics
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Melissa Bishop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 5, 1988 Eganville, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 173 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 56 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Osi Nriagu
(m. 2017) |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 metres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University team | University of Windsor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 400 m: 56.21 (Ottawa 2011) 800 m: 1:57.01 NR (Monte Carlo 2017) 1000 m: 2:38.75 (Amsterdam 2014) |
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Medal record
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Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, born on August 5, 1988, is a talented Canadian runner. She is best known for competing in the 800 metres race. Melissa has represented Canada in three Olympic Games: 2012, 2016, and 2020.
She won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. This was a very special achievement. It was the first time a Canadian woman won a medal in the 800-meter race at the World Championships. Melissa graduated from the University of Windsor. She was also one of only three Canadian women to run the 800 meters in under two minutes. Today, she holds the national record for this distance.
Contents
Melissa's Running Journey
Early Olympic Experience
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu first competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She ran in her heat but did not move on to the next round. This experience helped her prepare for future races.
Winning Gold at Home
Her next big event was the 2015 Pan American Games in Canada. Melissa competed in the 800-meter race in Toronto. She ran a fantastic race, finishing in 1 minute and 59.62 seconds. This amazing time earned her the gold medal and the title of Pan Am champion. Melissa was thrilled to win in front of her home crowd. She said the loud support from the fans helped her run her best.
World Championship Success
Later in 2015, Melissa competed at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing. She finished second in the 800 meters, winning a silver medal. In the semi-finals, she set a new national record with a time of 1 minute and 57.52 seconds. This broke a record that had stood for 14 years! The final race was very exciting, with many changes in speed. Melissa pushed hard and earned her silver medal. She called it "a dream come true."
The 2016 Rio Olympics
Melissa was part of Canada's Olympic team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Before the Games, she was ranked third in the world. She had set another national record of 1 minute and 57.43 seconds in Edmonton.
In the 800-meter final in Rio de Janeiro, Melissa finished fourth. She set yet another new national record with a time of 1 minute and 57.02 seconds. She was very close to winning a medal. The bronze medal went to another runner who passed her in the last 50 meters. Melissa was very emotional after the race. She said it was tough to be so close to a medal after working for it for a decade.
Returning for the 2020 Olympics
After becoming a mother in 2018 and dealing with injuries in 2019, Melissa worked hard to get back to racing. She qualified for her third Canadian Olympic team. This was for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Melissa hoped to do even better in the 800 meters. However, she placed fourth in her heat and did not move on. She later shared that she was dealing with a hamstring injury. Despite this, she was proud of her journey back to the Olympics.
Melissa's Life Outside Running
Melissa Bishop-Nriagu grew up in Eganville, Ontario. She lives near Lake Dore with her parents. In October 2017, she married fellow Canadian athlete Osi Nriagu. They welcomed their first daughter on July 2, 2018. Their second daughter was born on July 25, 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Melissa Bishop para niños
