When Melissa Bishop-Nriagu toed the line at Wednesday night’s Twilight Meet it marked the first time the two time Olympian had competed in the summer series in more than a decade. Her last appearance was July 18, 2007 when the then 18 year old Bishop-Nriagu won the women’s 800 metres in two minutes and 10.51 seconds, completing her final preparations before heading to BC the following week to capture Canadian gold at the U20 Championships.
Competing under entirely different circumstances Wednesday, Bishop-Nriagu was still the class of the field. Winning the women’s 400 metres in 56.77 seconds, the Twilight meet environment presented the Nike professional a unique opportunity. “I had a lot of fun,” declared the Canadian record holder at 800 metres following the competition. “It was kind of back to old times. You know the atmosphere obviously isn’t the same, but I think everyone is doing their best to kind of keep it as hype as they can.“
While returning to competition has meant adjustments for everyone in terms of sanitizing and social distancing, professionals are also adjusting to competing without stands full of fans. The last time Bishop-Nriagu toed the line in Ottawa was during the 2017 Canadian Championships, where the bleachers were overflowing with cheering spectators and stadium attendance topping 3000 people.
However, with COVID protocols limiting capacity at Terry Fox to a total of just 100 athletes, coaches, and volunteers, the environment forces you to refocus your approach to the situation. “A lot of the time the crowd can create an extra boost of adrenaline and we just don’t get that here, so you really have to find it from within to compete hard,” said Bishop-Nriagu.
Shot putter, and fellow Nike professional, Brittany Crew echoed those feelings after she won her event Wednesday night. “I try to do a lot of mental prep before,” said the Canadian record holder of her approach. Crew’s winning throw of 17.50 metres, was more than a meter off her seasonal best, but still nearly six meters ahead of Beckwith Athletic Club’s Erin Sweeney in second.
“Usually we have an atmosphere and we got fans and we got competitors, but today, obviously, I’m kind of competing against myself,” said Crew, acknowledging there was more work to do in a Twilight Meet environment. “It’s definitely hard to get amped and pysched up for a tiny little meet, but I’m just glad we can compete.”
Both women also acknowledged the opportunity a Twilight meet provides to inspire the younger generation of athletes who you are competing alongside. “I think it’s nice for the young throwers to actually see me compete because I’m usually not around,” described Crew, who largely competes in Europe.
However, both athletes confessed they thought many of the younger were hesitant to approach them. “I think a lot of them are too shy,” said Bishop-Nriagu who regonized her competition demeanor may have kept some away. Nonetheless, she admitted, with a smile, she still managed to pose for eight socially distant selfies with some young fans.
The Ottawa Summer Twilight series will continue tomorrow, Saturday, August 14th, where for the first time in history the series will take place outside of its regular Wednesday night schedule For all those present, please make sure to complete your health questionnaire before arriving at the facility.
