Merlene Ottey
Encyclopedia
Merlene Joyce Ottey (born May 10, 1960), is a Jamaica
n-born Slovenia
n track
athlete. Ottey began her career representing Jamaica, but since 2002, has represented Slovenia
, where she now resides. She is ranked fourth on the all-time list over 60 metres
(indoor), sixth on the all-time list over 100 metres
and third on the all-time list over 200 metres
.
Ottey has had the longest career as a top level international sprinter, which apparently has not yet concluded as she anchored the Slovenian 4x100 relay
at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the age of 50. She holds the record for the most Olympic appearances (seven) of any track and field athlete, and for winning the largest number of women's World Championships
medals (fourteen). Her career achievements and longevity have led to her being called the "Queen of the Track". Her proclivity for earning bronze medals in major championships also earned her the title of "Bronze Queen" in track circles.
. In her early school years in the 1970s, Ottey attended Gurneys Mount and Pondside Schools before graduating from Ruseas and Vere Technical high schools. There she frequently competed barefoot in local races.
Ottey's inspiration came from listening to the track and field broadcast from the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal
, where Donald Quarrie ran in the sprint finals. Her athletics career took off when she moved to the U.S., and attended the University of Nebraska in 1979, where she joined the track team. She represented Jamaica in the 1979 Pan American Games
, winning a bronze medal
in the 200 m. She graduated from university with a Bachelor of Arts
Degree, and married fellow athlete Nathaniel Page in 1984 and briefly used the name Merlene Ottey-Page. The couple later divorced.
In the 1980 Moscow games
, Ottey became the first female English speaking Caribbean
athlete to win an Olympic
medal. Back in Jamaica, she was awarded an Officer of the Order of Nation, and the Order of Distinction for ‘services in the field of sport’.
In the 1982 Commonwealth Games
, Ottey won a gold medal in the 200 m, and silver medal in the 100 m. Nearly a decade later, in the 1990 Commonwealth Games
, she won gold in both events. Ottey was named Ambassador
of Jamaica after her gold medal win in the 1993 world championships. She has also been named Jamaican Sportswoman of the year 15 times between 1979 and 1997.
Throughout her career, she has won nine Olympic medals, the most by any woman in track and field history http://www.olympic.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=685. These include three silver and six bronze medals. She has never won an Olympic gold medal, but lost by five thousandths of a second to Gail Devers
in the 100 m Final
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta when they both recorded the same time of 10.94 seconds. This was not her closest finish to Devers - she recorded a time of 10.812 seconds to Devers' 10.811 seconds in the 1993 World Championships
in Stuttgart - still the closest finish at an international athletics meet.
Her seven Olympic appearances from 1980 to 2004 are the most by any Track & Field
athlete. The next highest is six, by javelin thrower and heptathlete Tessa Sanderson
, discus thrower Lia Manoliu
, and middle-distance runners Maria Mutola
and João N'Tyamba
.
She won 14 World Championship medals between 1983 to 1997 —more than any other athlete, male or female — however, her failure to win many golds in major international competitions earned her the nickname "the Bronze Queen" in racing circles. She has won a total of three gold, three silver and eight bronze medals in the 4 x 100 m relay, the 100-m, and 200-m races. Ottey was appointed an Ambassador at Large by the Jamaican government in 1993.
sample submitted had returned positive for the banned anabolic steroid
nandrolone
. Her 'B' sample also contained higher than normal levels of the substance. Ottey was subsequently banned by the IAAF from competing in the World Championships in Seville, Spain.
Ottey fought to clear her name, asserting that charge was a "terrible mistake", and that she was innocent of knowingly taking steroids. In the summer of 2000, Ottey was cleared of all charges by the IAAF and Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association, and the laboratory who had tested her sample came under severe criticism.
In Jamaica, at the National Senior Trials prior to selection for the Olympics, Ottey placed a disappointing fourth. According to the rules of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA), only athletes who had finished in the top three at the trials were eligible to run at the Olympics; she was only qualified to run on the 4 x 100 m relay team. Ottey asked that she be substituted for another team member, a courtesy that had been extended to others in the past. The JAAA's decision to replace Peta-Gaye Dowdie with Ottey caused widespread controversy. Dowdie's team members and many Jamaicans believed that Ottey had bullied her way onto the team. She was construed as an aging icon trying to retain power by usurping the place of a younger and equally worthy athlete. Jamaican 400 m Olympian
and championship medallist Gregory Haughton lead the notorious "Games Village" protests to oust Ottey, which made international headlines. The protest ended when The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) threatened to throw the Jamaicans out of the Games if the team managers were not able to control their charges.
At the 2000 Olympics, Ottey finished fourth in the 100 m, beaten from a medal by fellow Jamaican sprinter Tayna Lawrence
. The race was won by Marion Jones
who registered 10.75 seconds, followed by Ekaterini Thanou of Greece
in 11.12 seconds. Lawrence posted 11.18 seconds to Ottey 11.19 seconds. In the 4×100 relay, the Jamaican team — bronze medalist Lawrence, teenager and newcomer Veronica Campbell
, and Beverly McDonald
— was anchored by Ottey to a silver medal. This medal gave Ottey her eighth medal, the most ever for a female athlete. (Nine years later, Ottey's fourth place was retroactively promoted
to third - giving Ottey her ninth medal - and Lawrence to second when Jones was stripped of her medals for steroid abuse.)
Due to the controversy, Ottey decided that "after Sydney I said I wasn't going to run another race for Jamaica ... because I felt like the Jamaicans were trying to push me out of the sport and I really needed to prove my point, that I might be 40 but I can still run."
, and began training with Slovene coach Srdjan Djordjevic. There she was still representing Jamaica. However, in May 2002, she became a Slovenian citizen, and now resides in Ljubljana
, where she represents her new country in international events.
Ottey competed for Slovenia in the 100 meters
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, where she reached the semifinals. At age 46, she competed in the 2006 European Championships in Athletics
. She finished fourth in the semi-finals of the 100 metres but did not qualify for the final, which was won by Belgium
's Kim Gevaert
.
Ottey failed by 0.28 seconds to reach her eighth Olympic Games, aged 48 in 2008. In spite of this, two years later she qualified for the Slovenian 4 x 100 metre relay squad at the 2010 European Athletics Championships where she became the oldest athlete ever to participate in the history of the European championships.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n-born Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete. Ottey began her career representing Jamaica, but since 2002, has represented Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, where she now resides. She is ranked fourth on the all-time list over 60 metres
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
(indoor), sixth on the all-time list over 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and third on the all-time list over 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
.
Ottey has had the longest career as a top level international sprinter, which apparently has not yet concluded as she anchored the Slovenian 4x100 relay
2010 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 x 100 metres relay
The women's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2010 European Athletics Championships was held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on 31 July and 1 August.-Medalists:-Records:-Schedule:- Heat 1 :- Heat 2 :- Summary :-Final:-References:* *...
at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the age of 50. She holds the record for the most Olympic appearances (seven) of any track and field athlete, and for winning the largest number of women's World Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
medals (fourteen). Her career achievements and longevity have led to her being called the "Queen of the Track". Her proclivity for earning bronze medals in major championships also earned her the title of "Bronze Queen" in track circles.
Life and sprinting career
Merlene Ottey was born to Hubert and Joan Ottey in Cold Spring, Hanover, Jamaica. She was introduced to the sport by her mother, who bought her a manual on track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In her early school years in the 1970s, Ottey attended Gurneys Mount and Pondside Schools before graduating from Ruseas and Vere Technical high schools. There she frequently competed barefoot in local races.
Ottey's inspiration came from listening to the track and field broadcast from the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, where Donald Quarrie ran in the sprint finals. Her athletics career took off when she moved to the U.S., and attended the University of Nebraska in 1979, where she joined the track team. She represented Jamaica in the 1979 Pan American Games
1979 Pan American Games
The 8th Pan American Games were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15, 1979. The capital of Puerto Rico played host to 3,700 athletes from 34 countries competing in 22 sports, making the VIII Pan American Games the largest to date. Security was a concern due to turmoil over the...
, winning a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 200 m. She graduated from university with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Degree, and married fellow athlete Nathaniel Page in 1984 and briefly used the name Merlene Ottey-Page. The couple later divorced.
In the 1980 Moscow games
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
, Ottey became the first female English speaking Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
athlete to win an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medal. Back in Jamaica, she was awarded an Officer of the Order of Nation, and the Order of Distinction for ‘services in the field of sport’.
In the 1982 Commonwealth Games
1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
, Ottey won a gold medal in the 200 m, and silver medal in the 100 m. Nearly a decade later, in the 1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
, she won gold in both events. Ottey was named Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
of Jamaica after her gold medal win in the 1993 world championships. She has also been named Jamaican Sportswoman of the year 15 times between 1979 and 1997.
Throughout her career, she has won nine Olympic medals, the most by any woman in track and field history http://www.olympic.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=685. These include three silver and six bronze medals. She has never won an Olympic gold medal, but lost by five thousandths of a second to Gail Devers
Gail Devers
Yolanda Gail Devers is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team. Devers was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up near National City, California and graduated from Sweetwater High School in 1984...
in the 100 m Final
Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres
These are the official results of the women's 100 metres event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total number of 56 participating athletes, with two rounds , two semifinals and a final.-Records:These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1996 Summer...
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta when they both recorded the same time of 10.94 seconds. This was not her closest finish to Devers - she recorded a time of 10.812 seconds to Devers' 10.811 seconds in the 1993 World Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics - Women's 100 metres
These are the official results of the Women's 100 metres event at the 1993 IAAF World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. There were a total number of 55 participating athletes, with seven qualifying heats and the final held on Monday 1993-08-16....
in Stuttgart - still the closest finish at an international athletics meet.
Her seven Olympic appearances from 1980 to 2004 are the most by any Track & Field
Athletics at the Summer Olympics
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program now comprises track and field events, road running...
athlete. The next highest is six, by javelin thrower and heptathlete Tessa Sanderson
Tessa Sanderson
Theresa Ione Sanderson CBE is a former British javelin thrower and heptathlete who competed in the javelin competition in every one of the six Olympics from 1976–1996 winning the Gold medal in 1984...
, discus thrower Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu
Lia Manoliu was a Romanian discus thrower who won three Olympic medals, including one gold. She was the first Track & Field athlete to compete at six Olympics....
, and middle-distance runners Maria Mutola
Maria Mutola
Maria de Lurdes Mutola is a female athlete from Mozambique who has specialized in the 800 m. She was born in Maputo, earning her the suiting nickname of "The Maputo Express. She is the fourth track & field athlete to compete at six Olympic Games.-Teenage years:Mutola was born in the Chamanculo...
and João N'Tyamba
João N'Tyamba
João Baptista N'Tyamba is an Angolan runner. He was born in Lubango.He started as a middle distance runner, and competed in 800 meters at 1988 Summer Olympics, then competed in 1500 metres at the 1991 World Championships, the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics and in 3000 metres at...
.
She won 14 World Championship medals between 1983 to 1997 —more than any other athlete, male or female — however, her failure to win many golds in major international competitions earned her the nickname "the Bronze Queen" in racing circles. She has won a total of three gold, three silver and eight bronze medals in the 4 x 100 m relay, the 100-m, and 200-m races. Ottey was appointed an Ambassador at Large by the Jamaican government in 1993.
Controversy
In 1999, during a meet in Lucerne, Switzerland, a urineUrine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
sample submitted had returned positive for the banned anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgen steroids or colloquially simply as "steroids", are drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in the body. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue ,...
nandrolone
Nandrolone
Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the human body, albeit in minute quantities of less than 0.4 ng/ml. Nandrolone is most commonly sold commercially as its decanoate ester and less commonly as a phenylpropionate ester...
. Her 'B' sample also contained higher than normal levels of the substance. Ottey was subsequently banned by the IAAF from competing in the World Championships in Seville, Spain.
Ottey fought to clear her name, asserting that charge was a "terrible mistake", and that she was innocent of knowingly taking steroids. In the summer of 2000, Ottey was cleared of all charges by the IAAF and Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association, and the laboratory who had tested her sample came under severe criticism.
In Jamaica, at the National Senior Trials prior to selection for the Olympics, Ottey placed a disappointing fourth. According to the rules of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA), only athletes who had finished in the top three at the trials were eligible to run at the Olympics; she was only qualified to run on the 4 x 100 m relay team. Ottey asked that she be substituted for another team member, a courtesy that had been extended to others in the past. The JAAA's decision to replace Peta-Gaye Dowdie with Ottey caused widespread controversy. Dowdie's team members and many Jamaicans believed that Ottey had bullied her way onto the team. She was construed as an aging icon trying to retain power by usurping the place of a younger and equally worthy athlete. Jamaican 400 m Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and championship medallist Gregory Haughton lead the notorious "Games Village" protests to oust Ottey, which made international headlines. The protest ended when The International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) threatened to throw the Jamaicans out of the Games if the team managers were not able to control their charges.
At the 2000 Olympics, Ottey finished fourth in the 100 m, beaten from a medal by fellow Jamaican sprinter Tayna Lawrence
Tayna Lawrence
Tayna Lawrence is a Track and Field sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. She is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4 x 100 meter relay race....
. The race was won by Marion Jones
Marion Jones
Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
who registered 10.75 seconds, followed by Ekaterini Thanou of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 11.12 seconds. Lawrence posted 11.18 seconds to Ottey 11.19 seconds. In the 4×100 relay, the Jamaican team — bronze medalist Lawrence, teenager and newcomer Veronica Campbell
Veronica Campbell
Veronica Campbell-Brown C.D is a track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. A five-time Olympic medallist, she is the reigning World and Olympic 200 metres champion...
, and Beverly McDonald
Beverly McDonald
Beverly McDonald is a Jamaican sprinter. Her accomplishments include winning the silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2000 Olympics and the gold medal in the same event at the 2004 Olympics...
— was anchored by Ottey to a silver medal. This medal gave Ottey her eighth medal, the most ever for a female athlete. (Nine years later, Ottey's fourth place was retroactively promoted
Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metres
The Women's 100 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Stadium Australia on September 22, 2000 and September 23, 2000....
to third - giving Ottey her ninth medal - and Lawrence to second when Jones was stripped of her medals for steroid abuse.)
Due to the controversy, Ottey decided that "after Sydney I said I wasn't going to run another race for Jamaica ... because I felt like the Jamaicans were trying to push me out of the sport and I really needed to prove my point, that I might be 40 but I can still run."
Slovenia
In 1998 Ottey moved to SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and began training with Slovene coach Srdjan Djordjevic. There she was still representing Jamaica. However, in May 2002, she became a Slovenian citizen, and now resides in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, where she represents her new country in international events.
Ottey competed for Slovenia in the 100 meters
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metres
The Women's 100 m at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium on August 20, 2004 and August 21, 2004.-Records:...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where she reached the semifinals. At age 46, she competed in the 2006 European Championships in Athletics
2006 European Championships in Athletics
The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit"...
. She finished fourth in the semi-finals of the 100 metres but did not qualify for the final, which was won by Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Kim Gevaert
Kim Gevaert
Kim Gevaert is a former sprint athlete from Belgium.-Career:Her closest brush with a world title came in running 4/100 of a second behind three-time champion Gail Devers at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics...
.
Ottey failed by 0.28 seconds to reach her eighth Olympic Games, aged 48 in 2008. In spite of this, two years later she qualified for the Slovenian 4 x 100 metre relay squad at the 2010 European Athletics Championships where she became the oldest athlete ever to participate in the history of the European championships.
Records and achievements
- Ottey ranks at number three on the list of the top ten all time athletes on the 200 meters - women, and number six on the 100 meter list.
- Ottey is the first female athlete to run 60 meters under seven seconds — and 200 metres under 22 seconds [ indoors]. She has also clocked the fastest 100 and 200 meters in the same day.
- Ottey has run 100 metres under eleven seconds— 67 times ( plus 9 wind-assisted ) a record among female sprinters.
- Ottey has 57 consecutive wins in 100 meters—the most consecutive wins over 100 meters for a female, and 34 consecutive wins at 200 meters.
- Ottey has recorded the fastest 100 metres time for any female athlete at age 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and age 40. The exception is age 31 as Carmelita Jeter ran 10.70sec in June 2011 to improve on Ottey's 10.79 at that age.
- Ottey holds the official World Masters AthleticsWorld Masters AthleticsWorld Masters Athletics is the worldwide governing body for the sport of masters athletics – which includes track and field, cross country, and road running events – as participated by people over 35 years of age....
world recordsMasters Athletics World RecordsThese are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...
in the 100 m and 200 m for the age groups W35 ( 100- 10.74 in 1996, 200- 21.93 in 1995 ) W40 ( 100- 10.99 in 2000, 200- 22.74 in 2004 ) W45 ( 100- 11.34 in 2006, 200- 23.82 in 2006 ) W50 ( 100- 11.67 in 2010, 200 24.33 in 2010 ). - Ottey is the first from the Western HemisphereWestern HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
(outside the USA) to win two individual medals at the same games. - At the 1995 World Championships1995 World Championships in AthleticsThe 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
, Ottey became the oldest ever female gold medallist when she won the 200 m at age 35 years 92 days. At the 1997 World Championships1997 World Championships in AthleticsThe 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, she became the oldest female medallist ever at 37 years 90 days, when she won the bronze medal. In the 2000 OlympicsAthletics at the 2000 Summer OlympicsAt the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 46 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 22 for women. There were a total number of 2134 participating athletes from 193 countries.-Men's events:...
, at age 40, Ottey became the oldest track and field medalist when she anchored the Jamaican women's 4×100 meters to a silver medal. With the disqualification of Marion JonesMarion JonesMarion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
, she was awarded the bronze medal in the 100 metres, making her the oldest individual medalist. - Ottey is also one of only two athletes to win twenty medals at the Olympic Games and the World Championships (combined) the other is Carl Lewis.
- Ottey holds the record for running the fastest women's Indoor 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
, in 21.87 seconds. This record has now stood for 18 years and remains the only sub 22sec clocking by a woman indoors. - In six World Championships competing for Jamaica, Ottey has won fourteen medals: three gold, four silver and seven bronze medals, while at the Olympics she has earned three silver and six bronze medals.
- Ottey was the first female CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
athlete to win an Olympic medal. - Ottey has won more Olympic medals than any other female athlete in the Western HemisphereWestern HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
. - Ottey's Olympics Medals:
- Moscow1980 Summer OlympicsThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
1980 200 m Bronze - Los Angeles1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
1984 100 m & 200 m Bronze - Barcelona1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
1992 200 m Bronze - Atlanta1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
1996 100 m & 200 m Silver & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze - Sydney2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
2000 4 x 100 m relay Silver & 100 m Bronze (the Bronze awarded after American Marion Jones had her gold medal revoked by the IOC in 2009)
- Moscow
- Ottey has the most World ChampionshipsIAAF World Championships in AthleticsThe World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
medals ( male or female ) with fourteen:- Helsinki1983 World Championships in AthleticsThe inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
1983 200 m Silver & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze - Rome1987 World Championships in AthleticsThe 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
1987 100 m & 200 m Bronze - Tokyo1991 World Championships in AthleticsThe 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
1991 100 m & 200 m Bronze & 4 x 100 m relay Gold - Stuttgart1993 World Championships in AthleticsThe 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
1993 100 m Silver & 200 m Gold & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze - Gothenburg1995 World Championships in AthleticsThe 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
1995 100 m Silver & 200 m Gold & 4 x 100 m relay Silver - Athens1997 World Championships in AthleticsThe 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
1997 200 m Bronze
- Helsinki
External links
- The Merlene Ottey Tribute
- Merlene Ottey
- Merlene Ottey & the advance of women
- Masters Track & Field World Rankings