Kelly

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Madeleine Kelly chalks up her desire to run the 800 metres to seeing Melissa Bishop-Nriagu compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Now the two are going to Tokyo, competing in the 800 metres, as part of Canada’s Olympic athletics squad.

Kelly was a team player at the University of Toronto, compiling a distinguished relays career. Her Varsity Blues teams earned Ontario University Athletics Championships titles in the 4x400-metre relay (2016 and 2017) and the 4x800-metre relay (2017 and 2018). Kelly was also part of U SPORTS National Champions in the 4x400-metre relay (2017) and the 4x800-metre relay in (2016 and 2018). On her own, Kelly won U SPORTS bronze medals in the 1,000 metres in both 2017 and 2018, as well as silver in the 600 metres in 2017.

Her 2019 season was Kelly’s breakout season, winning her first National Championship in the 800 metres in Montreal. Not only did she upset the presumed showdown between Lindsey Butterworth and Bishop-Nriagu, but it was also her first individual race win since high school. She followed that up a week later in Hamilton, winning a twilight meet in the Steel City.

With the final push to qualify for Tokyo being the focus in 2021, Kelly raced in nine 800-metre races over three months, winning races in Victoria, twice in Oregon and in California. She also took second place in three of Athletics Canada’s Tokyo Qualifier Series, including a personal best time of 2:00.11 at the Johnny Loaring Classic in Windsor. Kelly finished third at the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Trials in Montreal, trailing only behind winner Butterworth, who ran an Olympic standard time, and her hero Bishop-Nriagu.

Kelly makes her national team debut in Tokyo, running alongside Bishop-Nriagu and Butterworth as part of Canada’s deep contingent of middle-distance runners at the Olympic Games.