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February 11, 2009
Merlene Joyce Ottey
Merlene Joyce Ottey was born on May 10, 1960 in Cold Spring, Hanover, Jamaica to Hubert and Joan Ottey. She was introduced to track & field by her mother.
Ottey attended Gurnrys Mount and Pondside Schools, Ruseas and Vere Technical high schools, where she competed in barefooted races.
Ottey was inspired by listening to track & field broadcasts of the 1976 Summer Olympics. Her athletic career took off while attending University of Nebraska in the USA in 1979.
Over time Ottey won many awards: In 1982 she won the gold medal in the 200m and silver in the 100m at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.
In the 1990 Commonwealth Games she won gold in both events. She was named Ambassador of Jamaica for the Year 15 times between 1979 - 1997.
In total, Ottey has won right Olympic medals, but never an Olympic gold. She has to her credit three silver and five bronze medals which earned her the nickname "The Bronze Queen". She also has won 14 World Championship medals between 1983 - 1997- more than any other althete, male or female.
On 1999 a banned substance was descovered in her urine and she was banned from competing in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She also pulled out of the World Championships as she strove to clear her name, which she eventually did by the summer of that year in time to be selected to compete in the Olympic games.
She ran fourth in the controversial race and vowed that even though she could still run at 40 she would not run for Jamaica anymore as she felt as they were trying to push her out of the sport.
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