Get to know Catriona Bisset
- Age: 30
- Degree: Master of Architecture and Diploma in Languages alum
- Sport: Athletics
- Event/Category: Women's 800m
- Olympic History: Tokyo 2020 (5th in 800m Heats); Paris 2024 (17th in Repechages - Women’s 800m)
- Club: Melbourne University Athletics Club
- Scholarships: Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Scholarship recipient
Career Highlights:
- Andrew and Geraldine Buxton Scholarship recipient
- Australian 800m record holder
- 2019 World University Games gold medal
- 2019 University of Melbourne Female Athlete of the Year
- Full Blues in Athletics (2019) and Half Blue in Athletics (2017)
Catriona's story
Master of Architecture and Diploma of Languages student-athlete Catriona Bisset competed in her second Olympic Games in Paris. Catriona was a member of the Elite Athlete Program since coming to the University in 2017, and won a Full Blue (2017) and a Half Blue in Athletics (2019), and was also named the University of Melbourne Female Athlete of the Year in 2019.
Bisset broke out in 2019, breaking the two-minute barrier in the 800m for the first time at the UniNationals Athletics while representing the University. An incredible year followed, as Bisset won gold at the World University Games in Italy, before breaking the Australian record at a Diamond League event in London.
After making her Olympic debut in 2021, Catriona has continued her progression, lowering the National 800m records both indoors (1:59.46) and outdoors (1:57.78) and regularly running sub-two minutes. She made the semi-finals at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and was fifth at the World indoors and Commonwealth Games in 2022.
In March 2024, Catriona competed on her ninth Australian team at the World Indoor Championships. She progressed to the 800m semi-final. In April, she placed fourth at the Nationals in the deepest Australian 800m race, when four athletes dipped under two minutes. She followed this with a strong European campaign, clocking a fastest time of 1:58.44 and claiming a win in Madrid.