By Canadian Press

Bishop-Nriagu is shutting down her season due to Achilles injury

Aug 24, 2019 | 11:44 AM

TORONTO — Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, the Canadian record-holder and a world silver medallist in the 800 metres, is shutting down her season due to injury.

The 31-year-old runner from Eganville, Ont., announced the news on Instagram on Saturday.

Bishop-Nriagu sat out last season to give birth to daughter Corinne, and said the changed structure of her body post-pregnancy led to numerous injuries this season, most recently a small Achilles tendon tear.

“Coming back from pregnancy has been really difficult, and not from the fitness side of it, that’s what I thought was going to be hard, was getting back into shape. But it’s actually my body and the structure. It’s just not where it used to be,” Bishop-Nriagu said on Instagram. 

“So many things change when you carry a baby and you deliver a baby, and my body just isn’t where it was two years ago and it needs some more time to get there. I’ve just been plagued with injury after injury.”

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Bishop-Nriagu had been chasing the standard for the world championships that begin Sept. 28 in Doha, but said she’s shifting her focus to being healthy for next season and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Ultimately (Tokyo) is the big goal for us, always has been right from the beginning,” she said.

Bishop-Nriagu, who was fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and second at the 2015 world championships, set the Canadian record of one minute 57.01 seconds in 2017.

She narrowly missed the world qualifying standard of 2:00.60 in early June when she ran 2:01.10.

“Don’t lose faith yet, I haven’t. Patience will be my biggest test,” Bishop-Nriagu wrote.

Lori Ewing , The Canadian Press