Merlene Ottey
Merlene Ottey (b. May 10, 1960) is a Jamaican-born Slovenian runner.
She was born in Cold Spring, Jamaica to Hubert & Joan Ottey. There she joined her brother Desmond and sisters Yvonne & Beverley, and was later joined by her younger siblings Jane, Ruthven & Hugh. In her early years Merlene attended Gurneys Mount and Pondside Schools before graduating from Rusea and Vere Technical high schools.
Her athletics career took off when she joined the University of Nebraska in 1979, breaking many records and gaining her recognition rounding her off her collegiate experience by graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and marrying fellow athlete Nathaniel Page in 1984.
In these early years Merlene had already managed to win in individual events an Olympics bronze, Commonwealth gold & silver and a Worlds silver medals.
She was to later to take her medal tally to:
Olympics 8 Medals?
Moscow 1980 200 m Bronze
Los Angeles 1984 100 m & 200 m Bronze
Barcelona 1992 200 m Bronze
Atlanta 1996 100 m & 200 m Silver & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze
Sydney 2000 4 x 100 m relay Silver
World Championship 14 Medals?
Helsinki 1983 200 m Silver & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze
Rome 1987 100 m & 200 m Bronze
Tokyo 1991 100 m & 200 m Bronze & 4 x 100 m relay Gold
Stuttgart 1993 100 m Silver & 200 m Gold & 4 x 100 m relay Bronze
Gothenburg 1995 100 m Silver & 200 m Gold & 4 x 100 m relay Silver
Athens 1997 200 m Bronze
In May 2002 Merlene gained citizenship for Slovenia, where she has been living and training with Slovenian coach Srdjan Djordjevic since 1998, and now represents her new country in international events. In July 1999 Merlene was banned by the IAAF after she tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone but was cleared a year later when the laboratory who had tested her sample came under severe criticism. Merlene was disappointed with Jamaican Athletic Union's treatment of her which was one of reasons (besides less competition than in Jamaica) why she applied for Slovenian citizenship.
