Jamaican sprint queen Merlene Ottey was born
By: Cerone White
On this day in Caribbean history, May 10, 1960, Jamaican Olympian and the country’s first sprint queen was born. Merlene Ottey was born in Cold Spring, Hanover, Jamaica to Hubert and Joan Ottey. The Olympic runner was introduced to the sport by her mother who bought her a manual on track and field. Throughout her years at Gurneys Mount and Pondside Schools and Vere Technical high school,Ottey excelled in the sport winning many titles. Growing up her inspiration was Donald Quarrie.
The career of Jamaica’s original sprint queen didn’t leave the starting blocks until she left Jamaica in 1979 and started attending the University of Nebraska. In that same year, she represented her home country at the Pan American games winning a bronze medal in the 200 meter. Ottey attended the 1980 Moscow games where she became the first female English-speaking Caribbean athlete to win an Olympic medal. Ottey was honored with the “Order of Distinction”, the “Order of the Nation” prize, and the Jamaican Sportswoman of the year thirteen times between 1979 -1995 totaling 29 medals throughout her career.
Ottey has won nine Olympic medals during her career; that is the most won by any woman in track and field history and also said to be more than any other athlete, male or female. Her extensive medal collection includes 14 World Championship medals won between 1983 to 1997. Ottey’s wins hardly included gold medals in major international competitions, thus she was dubbed “the Bronze Queen”.
The bronze queen no longer represents Jamaica in any form because in 1998 she moved to Slovenia to train and in 2002 she became a citizen of Slovenia. In 2004 Summer Olympics she competed in the 100 meter where she reached the semi-finals. Despite many sets-backs in her career she has triumphed with many track and field athletes around the world looking to her for guidance and a beacon of hope. Happy Birthday Ottey.
Did you Know?
Ottey was once married and she briefly used the name Ottey-Page
Here’s a look at Ottey In action:
