Merlene Ottey Jamaican track and field athlete Date of Birth: 10.05.1960 Country: Jamaica

1. Biography of Merlene Ottey
2. Early Life and Career
3. Successes and Achievements
4. Olympic Games and "The Bronze Queen"
5. Later Career and Citizenship Change

Biography of Merlene Ottey

Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican athlete and sprinter specializing in the 100 and 200-meter events. Since 2002, she has competed for Slovenia. Ottey is a three-time world champion and has won a total of 14 medals in various world championships, making her one of the most decorated athletes in history. She is also an eight-time Olympic medalist, with her two latest achievements being absolute records for track and field athletes. Alongside Swedish fencer Kerstin Palm, Ottey is the only athlete to have participated in seven Olympic Games.

Early Life and Career

Merlene Ottey was born on May 10, 1960, in the town of Cold Spring in northwest Jamaica. She was the fourth of seven children in her family. Ottey's running talents emerged during her childhood, but she only began professionally pursuing athletics in 1979 when she moved to the United States and enrolled at the University of Nebraska. Her first major competition was the 1979 Pan American Games, where she won a bronze medal in the 200 meters. The following year, she repeated this result at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. As the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic medal, Ottey was awarded the Order of Distinction upon her return to Jamaica.

Successes and Achievements

Ottey achieved her first victory in a major competition at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, winning the 200 meters and finishing second in the 100 meters. However, at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she could only secure two bronze medals in both events. In the same year, Ottey earned her bachelor's degree and married fellow athlete Nathaniel Page (the marriage later ended in divorce).

Ottey's extensive medal collection was primarily accumulated at the World Championships. In 1983, she won silver (200 meters) and bronze (4x100 meters relay) in Helsinki. In Rome in 1987, Ottey earned bronze medals in the 100 and 200 meters, and in Tokyo in 1991, she repeated this achievement. Additionally, she won gold in the relay. In Stuttgart in 1993, Ottey completed her collection with a bronze in the relay, silver in the 100 meters, and her long-awaited individual gold in the 200 meters. At the Gothenburg World Championships in 1995, she defended her title in the 200 meters and finished second in both the 100 meters and relay. Ottey became a medalist at the World Championships a total of 14 times, a feat unmatched by any other track and field athlete.

Olympic Games and "The Bronze Queen"

At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Ottey ran an impressive time of 10.86 seconds in the 100 meters, her best result in Olympic competition and one of the best of her career. However, she finished fifth as the top five athletes were separated by only four hundredths of a second. On the 200 meters, Ottey won her fourth Olympic bronze medal. This accumulation of bronze medals led to her nickname, "The Bronze Queen."

At the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, a 35-year-old Ottey was considered the favorite in both the 100 and 200 meters. However, she faced disappointment. She tied with American sprinter Gail Devers for first place in the 100 meters with a time of 10.94 seconds, but a photo finish awarded the gold medal to Devers. In the 200 meters, Ottey was surprised by French sprinter Marie-José Pérec, who typically competed in the 400 meters. Pérec won the final, leaving Ottey in second place. In the 4x100 meters relay, the Jamaican team finished third, resulting in Ottey's fifth Olympic bronze medal.

Later Career and Citizenship Change

From 1979 to 1997, Ottey was named Jamaica's best athlete 15 times. However, a doping test during her preparation for the Sydney Olympics revealed traces of the banned substance nandrolone. Ottey vehemently maintained her innocence. After a series of legal hearings, she was exonerated by the national federation and the International Court of Arbitration, allowing her to compete in Sydney. However, the decision to include the 40-year-old Ottey in the Olympic team without any qualification process caused controversy, including criticism from Jamaican athletes, including her relay teammates. Despite this, Ottey competed in Sydney, finishing fourth in the 100 meters and contributing to the silver medal success in the 4x100 meters relay.

After the Sydney Games, there were occasional reports of Ottey retiring from her career. However, in 2006, her coach announced that she would prepare for the Beijing Olympics. In 2004, Ottey competed for Slovenia, her new home, at her seventh Olympic Games in Athens. Unfortunately, she was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100 meters.

Throughout her career, Merlene Ottey has amazed the world with her longevity and determination. Her numerous achievements and records solidify her status as one of the greatest athletes in history.