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Ageless Ottey To Race In Euro Champs At Age 50
(Barcelona 10 press release)
MERLENE OTTEY RACES IN BARCELONA
AT 50 YEARS OF AGE
Barcelona, 23 July 2010
Athletics legend Merlene Ottey will finally compete at the European Athletics Championships Barcelona
2010. The Slovenian Athletics Federation has named her for the 4x100m relay team next to Tina Murn,
Sabina Veit, Kristina Zumer and Maja Mihalinec.
50-years-old, Ottey will enter the history books as oldest athlete to have ever competed at the European
Athletics Championships. Throughout her brilliant career she obtained 29 medals at big competitions and
is now achieving record performances in the 50+ category – this season she has already clocked 11.84
seconds over 100 metres and finished second at the Slovenian championships.
The athlete of Jamaican origin participated in seven Olympic Games, with her debut in Moscow 1980,
where she obtained the bronze medal at only 20 years of age. Four years ago she competed at
Göteborg 2006, her first European Championships, where she made it to the 100m semi-final.
Born in Cold Spring, Ottey achieved her personal best – 10.74 in Milan, Italy – 14 years ago. In 1992 she
competed at the Barcelona Olympic Games where she won the bronze medal in the 200 metres event.
Only three years later she came back to the Catalan capital to win the world indoor 60m title.
Next week she will return to Barcelona and take the crown from French Marathon runner Nicole
Brakebusch-Lévéque, who until now has been the oldest athlete to compete at the European Athletics
Championships. She was 47 years old when she participated in Budapest 98.
Ottey’s debut on Montjuďc Mountain will be on 31 July at the 4x100m relay heats.
Slovenia will send 33 athletes to Barcelona, 17 men and 16 women. Biggest medal hope is Javelin
thrower Martina Ratej, third in the world annual ranking with 67,16 metres.
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