Merlene Ottey talks smack against masters, M50 sprinters
Merlene Ottey
Here’s the whole article, for posterity’s sake:
Sprinter, 50, has eyes on more Olympics
Fit and fabulous: Merlene Ottey competed at a major event, in the 4×100-metre relay, for Slovenia at the European track and field championships during the weekend, 30 years after her first at the Moscow Olympics for Jamaica in 1980.
“If somebody wants to cut me into pieces to find what I’m made of, well, I’ll have plenty of time to think about it because I plan to live till I’m 120-plus,” said Ottey, 50.
She paused, laughed and promised: “Only kiddin’.”
She ran the anchor leg Saturday in the relay for Slovenia, which did not reach the final.
Two months after her 50th birthday, competing in the championships seem impossible, even to her.
“Last year, doctors were telling me to stop or I’d end up in a wheelchair, but now I’m here and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, girl, you are still here, still doin’ it after all these years.’ You know, I can’t quite believe it.”
Most of her competitors at the European championships were not even born when she won the first of 33 major championship medals.
In an interview 15 years ago, she told me how her young rivals called her “grandma.” I recall describing her even then as a miracle of the track at 35.
Now it turns out the real miracle is that she believes we are all going to watch her at her eighth Olympic Games, at London 2012.
“Don’t count me out yet — you never know,” she said. “It would be fantastic and I think I’ll make it.”
FASTER THAN ANY WOMAN HER AGE
The point is that Ottey never says never.
“Years ago, I stopped listening to people who said, ‘It’s impossible for this old lady to do anything.’ They said it at 30, and at 40, but at 44 I ran 11.09.”
Then she slapped her thigh as she declared: “So if these old legs are holding up you’ll find me still runnin’ when I’m 60. And, hopefully, it will be fast also.”
Years of sprint explosions mean she suffers lower back problems and has five titanium screws holding her hamstring and gluteus together.
Last year she had such excruciating problems with an inflamed left knee that she could not even bend over in the blocks and could only walk downstairs backward.
“I thought that was it, that I was going to have to quit. Some doctors said I should give up. Yet it healed itself.”
She did not achieve the qualifying standard for the individual 100m of 11.50 seconds in the European championships. Still, she has clocked three world records for age 50 and over, her latest being 11.67 at a Slovenian league meeting. Effectively, she has run a whole second faster than any woman her age has ever done.
“There’s no point in me running in masters events unless it’s against the men,” she said. “And I mean the 40-year-old men, not the 50s.
“But I’d like to think I’m an inspiration for other 50 year-olds. I like the idea of people being able to realize that the journey doesn’t have to end when you’re 25, that you can still be setting records and enjoying your sports 25 years later.
“No husband, no family, I’m on my own, but happy with life.”
13 Responses
Hmm…Maybe Merlene Ottey is right about M50+.
Some winner 100m in Nyiregyhàza (Hungry) European Masters Championships 2010-7-17.
M40 Darren Scott 10.81
M45 Dalton Powell 11.44
M50 Gabor Bodnan 11.81 ooops!
M55 Steve Peters 11.67 `ffiù!
I’m just find my heroes from among the humble and encouranging lot, thank you.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Ottey in 2004 at a meet in San Diego. Merlene was very nice and I told her that she has been an inspiration to me to which she thanked me and smiled. Keep it going!!
The truth can sometimes be uncomfortable to hear. C’est la vie et elle est dure!
she does have a point not many M50 runners can still run under 12 sec,she would be running right with me its nothing to be ashame of I run a lot of D-3 Collage meets most of the caches know im a usa masters spinter,so when i beat some of the collage runners,they are not mad but are very impressed,so what if she beats me im a hurdler,and a very good Decathlete,I PROUD OF HER.
I’ll put a paycheck on it MO…bring it!!! LOL
Let see Willie G 50 no chance Allan T 50 no chance Mike Waller 50 no chance Ken Eaton 50 no chance Marty K 50 no chance Tony Fulton 50 no chance Samuel E 50 no chance Big Brown 50 Don’t Sing It Bring It
I admire Merlene, but don’t envy her running status at 50. I will rather grow old gracefully with my family – 3 children and 4 grandchildren – and still be able to use my legs at 61, albeit much slower than 20, 30 years go !
She is growing old gracefully and still running fast. Incredible.
Ottey has a good idea, for her and for everyone else. Long ago I found myself in a time-trial heat with an elite Jamaican masters sprinter. Actually, ex-Jamaican. She was 13 years younger, and that 200 was great fun for both of us. Not going to say who, but she medalled in Sacramento in July. O yeah, she beat me by a tenth of a second.
Merlene Ottey: Is an inspiration,pure and simple.
I’d like to see a drug test done on Miss Ottey–I have my doubts that she is clean–look at the pictures of her– I don’t no of any clean athletes that run that look like her especially her upper body.
I have to disagree with Merlene, whom I met when I was in college. The fastest time in the M55 group at Nationals was 11.5 by Bill Collins and second place was 11.6 by Oscar Peyton, who didn’t even use blocks. So her statement was obviously given without knowledge. I challenge her to come to a Master’s National or World Championship meet to see. Oh, and by the way, there is one woman in the W45 group who would run with her and could possibly beat her. Her name is Renee “the Jet” Henderson. Renee ran 11.6 just before her 45th birthday, and at World’s she ran 12.10, slowing down. So, don’t sleep.
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