Merlene Ottey puts W50 world record for 100 outtasight: 11.72

Merlene Ottey

Post on the Track & Field News Message Board says Merlene Ottey ran the 100 today in 11.72 seconds “in a SLO GP meet in Postojna. She only ran the heats. Wind not reported but Slovenian Press Agency track writer does refer to it as a 50+ WR.” The listed W50 world record is 12.50 by American Phil Raschker in 1997. Merlene turned 50 in May, and we know she’s getting set for the European open championships. How good is 11.72 at age 50? She would have been seventh on the M50 list for Americans last year. On the Age-Graded Tables, her 11.72 converts to an open mark (ages 20-30) of 10.36. Can you spell godlike?

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June 6, 2010

11 Responses

  1. Byrke Beller - June 6, 2010

    Can you say superhuman? Holy meconium!

  2. pino pilotto - June 7, 2010

    Ken,
    Your Age-Graded Tables are not precise.
    11.72 sec. x 0.8844 = 10.365168 sec. = 10.37 sec.
    (10.37 = 1287 points in the W-deca; 9.58 in the M-deca is only 1202 points)
    LOL

  3. Kurt - June 7, 2010

    Ottey won her heat (#3) in 11.95 seconds, not 11.72 as has been incorrectly reported. The wind was lega (+0.9 m/s), however.

    http://www.atletska-zveza.si/files/rezultati/timing/2010/06062010.pdf

  4. Tom Phillips - June 7, 2010

    Oh, “only” 11.95. Makes us mortals feel a lot better. Not.:)

  5. pino pilotto - June 7, 2010

    Yes Tom,
    And, oh, she was helped by the wind (0.9 m/s).
    This means that she run only 89.245 m and the other 10.755 m (= 0.9 m x 11.95 sec.)was run by the wind ;-).
    I love my calculator

  6. Ken Stone - June 7, 2010

    Thanks, Kurt, for the results link! I’ll leave the post as is to preserve the comments. The T&FN message board also has a corrected time.

  7. Tom Phillips - June 8, 2010

    Pino,

    I am struggling with the mathematics and the metaphysics of that one….

    Tom

  8. Lesley Richardson - June 9, 2010

    Great record Merlene for a great athlete over so many years. One of the true legends.

  9. Weia Reinboud - June 10, 2010

    Here is the race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVTl38AYjBY
    And then minutes of just walking…

  10. Andres - June 12, 2010

    Grande Merlene..!..11″95 es una marca extraordinaria para 50 aГ±os, que sГіlo una super-atleta que sepa mantenerse a esa edad sin lesionarse puede conseguir.

  11. Andres - June 12, 2010

    ah..11″95 x 0,8551 = 10″22.

    Mejor decir simplemente que es un 102,68%

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