Heartbreak for Bishop in 800 metres

Canadian crushed after placing fourth

RIO DE JANEIRO Melissa Bishop walked through the mixed zone without saying a word, her head bowed, her eyes filled with tears.

She came back a couple minutes later, but an Athletics Canada spokesperson let reporters know she would only answer questions about her race — not about her competitors — in the women’s 800-metre final.

And what a race it was for Bishop, blazing to a new Canadian record of one minute 57.02 seconds, only to be passed in the final 50 metres by Margaret Wambui of Kenya.

The 28-year-old Bishop, of Eganville, Ont., won silver at the 2015 world track and field championships in Beijing. This time, she finished a heartbreaking fourth.

“The plan was just to stick at the lead and try to respond as smoothly as possible,” she said. “So, I mean, we did what we could.”

A reporter asked how she felt in the final stretch.

“Defeated, obviously,” Bishop said. “You work so hard for this stuff. That fourth really sucks.” She broke down. “Thanks guys,” she said, tears streaming down her face as she walked away.

The complexion of the 800-metre women’s race has completely changed since Bishop won that silver last August in Beijing. About a week prior, the Court of Arbitration for Sport suspended an IAAF rule that required female competitors to race within what was deemed an acceptable level of testosterone.

The gold Saturday went to South Africa’s Caster Semenya, who has been at the centre of the debate. There were reports she was intersex — someone who has both male and female biological elements — and that her testosterone was well above natural levels in a woman.

As expected, Semenya blew away the Olympic field and posted a golden time of one minute 55.28 seconds.

“I think everyone here at the Olympic Games is going for the podium,” Bishop said earlier this week. “Everyone wants a win. I’m certainly going to aim to be the best athlete and the best version of myself I can be on that day.”