Tashieka Mair, Gleaner Writer

Ottey

WESTERN BUREAU:

ALTHOUGH JAMAICAN-BORN sprinter Merlene Ottey, who is now a citizen of Slovenia, will not be competing in this year's summer Olympic Games in China, her home community of Pondside in Hanover still has a great interest in the event.

Ottey did not meet the qualifying time to be on the team because she finished 28th hundredths of a second outside the qualifying mark in the 100-metre race.

Merlene's mother, Joan Bowen-Ottey, says she would be watching the Games because she is "first and foremost a Jamaican and a sports fan".

Bowen-Ottey tells The Sunday Gleaner that when her daughter switched allegiance, she understood and accepted the decision without any reservations, as she felt that Jamaica had disrespected an athlete who was passionate about representing her country.

'Ole gal'

"I heard somebody said 'This ole gal must go siddung and lef' it give young people', so she has left it to the young people," Bowen-Ottey relates.

"She wanted to run and Jamaica didn't want her; her team didn't want her and somebody else wanted her. Go run! Yes, that didn't bother me."

However, despite the feeling of betrayal, Bowen-Ottey says Merlene has always supported the Jamaican team and wants young athletes to succeed.

She also believes that Merlene was robbed of several gold medals in the early years of her career because of the doping practices of other athletes and would have liked to watch her child compete in another Olympics.

"It would be nice to watch her again, but I know she would not be able to get a gold there because it's not just one straight race, it's rounds."

"Sometimes I was very disappointed when I watched her. I know that it is not because she didn't train or didn't try her best, but no one had to tell me that drugs were in the making at that time."

Though all of Bowen-Ottey's seven children were athletes at school, Merlene was the only child who pursued the sport full time and made a success of it. She says she would support her daughter even if she chose to run beyond age of 50, as she knows that it is Merlene's passion.

Claudette McCalla, who knew Merlene growing up in Pondside, says she is proud of the athlete and will miss her from the Olympics. Nevertheless, she believes that the new batch of athletes has given the country enough reasons to stay close to the TV.

"She is good because at 48 years old and still be able to beat young people means she still fit," McCalla notes. "We still miss her."

tasheika.mair@gleanerjm.com