Canadian 800m champion Maëliss Trapeau continued her surging season, running 1:59.86 in Switzerland

Newly crowned Canadian 800m champion Maëliss Trapeau has continued her career year, joining one of Canadian distance running’s most exclusive clubs.

On Wednesday in Fribourg, Switzerland, Trapeau became only the 11th Canadian woman to break the two-minute barrier, clocking 1:59.86.

Maëliss Trapeau celebrates her 2025 Canadian Championship win in Ottawa. Photo: John Liu (@johnwithlenses)

Trapeau finished second in the women’s 800m race at the Fribourg International Meeting, just behind Australian Olympian and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell, who won in 1:59.72.

If Trapeau’s name is new to you in Canadian middle-distance circles, her path to competing for Canada is unique.

Trapeau was born in France, but attended high school and university in Ottawa.

She competed for France at the junior level in 2018 before transferring her international allegiance to Canada this year.

The move has paid off. Just three weeks ago, she won the Canadian title in the women’s 800m, outkicking 2024 Olympian Jazz Shukla in the final metres.

With 10 days remaining before the 2025 World Championship qualifying window closes, Trapeau currently sits comfortably inside the World Athletics rankings quota—putting her on track to wear the Canadian national team singlet for the first time.

Canadian women’s 800m all-time list

In addition to her sub-two achievement, she becomes the third Ottawa-area athlete to do so, following in the footsteps of Canadian record holder Melissa Bishop-Nriagu and 2020 Olympian Madeleine Kelly.

Her time ranks her ninth on the Canadian all-time list, tied with 2012 Olympian Jessica Smith.