Legendary Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey is on track for her seventh Olympics after winning a 100m race in Belgium as she prepares to add to her tally of eight medals.
The 44-year-old, who became a Slovenian citizen two years ago, won the 100m at an international atheltics meeting in Leige, Belgium, on Tuesday.Her wind-assisted time of 11.09 secs was a Slovenian record and her fastest since the 2000 season. The current world record for the women's 100m is 10.49 secs, set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.
Ottey's motivation for Athens is to peform well for Slovenia, the country which has allowed her to continue her career after controversy about her age in her native Jamaica threated an early retirement.
"Well, Jamaica has a lot of athletes. There was this big fuss because people said 'you're too old' and I thought fine, if I'm too old I'll find another country where I'm appreciated," Ottey said.
"Slovenia doesn't mind if you're 25 or 43. If you're good enough, there's no question about it."
Ottey tested positive for the banned steroid Nandrolone in July 1999, which resulted in her missing the world championships in Seville that year.
She took legal action and won her case on technicalities just in time to squeeze into the Jamaican Olympic squad for Sydney where she anchored Jamaica to silver in the 4x100 metres relay.
The two-time world 200m champion earned the tag of bridesmaid as she amassed 14 world championship and eight Olympic medals but rarely gold.
Ottey's first Olympic medal came with a bronze at 200m in the 1980 Moscow Games when she was running against now discredited East Germans and Soviets.
Agence France-Presse
