© Copyright – 2015 – Athletics Illustrated
It appears that Canada’s fastest active 800-metre runner, Eganville, Ontario’s Melissa Bishop is ready to take on the 800-metre event at the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games. Her fitness has come around just in time, as she ran a new personal best in Lucerne, Switzerland yesterday in the time of 1:59.52.
Bishop sprained her ankle in May this year, subsequently starting her outdoor season late. Her first few races indicated fitness, but her fine sharpness would have to wait. The Lucerne meet was a good time to race hard, “The race plan was to go hard. There wasn’t really a lot of planning necessarily, it was more about getting out and racing,” Said Bishop.
Her previous best was 1:59.70 from the 2014 Victoria Track Classic. This year – while recovering from the ankle injury – she ran the Victoria Track Classic in the time of 2:01.02 to finish in a virtual tie with Langley’s Fiona Benson, the win went to Benson. Bishop had just come off her first race back two nights earlier at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Burnaby. At Jerome she finished in 2:01.67 for third position behind North Vancouver’s Jessica Smith and Benson. At the Portland Track Festival one week later, she again finished third, this time behind Benson who won and American Shannon Rowbury. Bishop improved to 2:00.67.
Asked if she had a sense that her sharpness was coming around for Lucerne, Bishop told Athletics Illustrated, “I had a sense yes. In Madrid we had a good run where I finished in 2:00:13 and it felt it good. I knew I was going to be in a quick race and tried to take advantage of that. I only had two races over there so I wanted to make it worth my travel. Plus it was a good opportunity to get ready for Pan Ams next week.”
Bishop finished third and just behind American Chanelle Price, who owns a personal best of 1:59.10 and finished the race in 1:59.24. Selina Büchel of Switzerland won in the time of 1:59.21. Her best is 1:57.95 from two weeks ago.
There are two races on July 21st, two heats, and then the finals are on the 22nd. Details can be found here.
The other Canadian in the Pan Am Games is Jessica Smith.
Bishop will also be racing in the 2015 IAAF World Track and Field Championships that are taking place in Beijing, China in August. Smith will miss the world championships, while Fiona Benson will miss Pan Ams, yet race in the worlds.
Lucerne results:
1 82 Büchel Selina 1991 SUI KTV Bütschwil 1:59.21 PB: 1:57.95
2 315 Price Chanelle 1990 USA United States of America 1:59.24 PB: 1:59.10
3 276 Bishop Melissa 1988 CAN Canada 1:59.52 PB: 1:59.52
4 236 Sharp Lynsey 1990 GBR Great Britain 1:59.72 PB: 1:58.80
5 247 Ludlow Molly 1987 USA United States of America 1:59.73 PB: 1:58.68
6 350 Oskan-Clarke Shelayna 1990 GBR Great Britain 2:00.90 PB: 2:00.90
7 352 Meadows Jennifer 1981 GBR Great Britain 2:01.10 PB: 1:57.93
8 275 Wallace Lauren 1990 USA United States of America 2:02.21 PB: 2:00.48
9 364 Grunewald Gabriele 1986 USA United States of America 2:02.72 PB: 2:01.38
10 227 Lipsey Charlene 1991 USA United States of America 2:02.86 PB: 2:00.60
11 332 Kajan Selma 1991 AUS Australia 2:08.04 PB: 2:01.96
308 Mathias Charline 1992 LUX Luxembourg DNF