Vrnila se je tja, kamor sodi. V svetovni vrh šprinta!
3.rd - 11.06 Ljubljana, Aug 14 1.st - 11.00 Thessaloniki, Aug 30 1. st - 10.99 Brisbane, Sept 10. 1.st - 10.91 Sydney - Sep 22 1. st - 11.08 Sydney - Sep 23

Prava zmagovalka teka na 100 m na nocojšnji Gala predstavi na Letzigrundu v Zürichu je Merlene Ottey.

Vrnila se je tja, kamor sodi - med svetovno elito šprinterk in če bi danes podeljevali medalje, bi znova stala na stopničkah.

Znova bi stala z ramo ob rami z Marion Jones in Inger Miller.

Pred 14 dnevi ji tega nihče ni verjel, niti njeni rojaki na Jamajki.

Ljubljana, 11.08.2000

Sezono 200 je zaznamovala "afera nandrolone" - Merlene je bila namreč že leto poprej, torej sredi leta 1999 obtožena jemanja poživila nandrolone in je bila zaradi tega prikrajšna za nastop na SP v Sevilli.

Ker je posebna Artbitražna komisija IAAF, zadolžena za preučevanje primerov jemanja dopinga, izjemno dolgo zavlačevala z zaslišanjem Merlene Ottey in njenih zagovorinikov, je bil zaradi tega ogrožen tudi njen nastop na Olimpijskih igrah v Sydneyu leta 2000.

Oprostitev vseh obtožb je prišla izjemno pozno, šele slaba dva meseca pred Olimpijskimi igrami - 3. julija 2000.

Končno so Merlene konec junija 2000, torej le slaba dva meseca pred  začetkom Olimpiade, vendarle zaslišali in uspela je dokazatai, da so bile ovbtožbe neutemeljene.

Ker je verjela vase, zaupala zagovornikom in trenerju Srdjanu Djordjeviću, je ves ta čas prizadevno trenirala in nazadnje je po vseh peripetijah (na koncu bi ji jo skoraj zagodli v lastni reprezentanci, ko je niso hoteli uvrstiti v posamičen tek na 100 m!) vendarle nastopila na svojih 6. zaporednih Olimpijskih igrah in osvojila medaljo v štafeti 4 x 100 m.

Vse, kar je Merlene doživljala v letu 2000, bi lahko celo pomenlo "nasilen" konec njene bogate športne kariere, a si je k sreči premislila in vztrajala. Takšna pač je, večna borka!

Morda pa je ravo takrat tudi dozorela njena odločitev, da bo še nadaljevala in mogoče poskusila še na Olimpijskih igrah v Atenah. In nenazadnje je morda prav to tudi vplivalo na njeno odločitev, da dokončno postane državljanka Slovenije.

Če je tako, smo upravičeno ponosni, kajti v svoji sredini imamo največjo atletinjo vseh časov - ko bi se tega zavedali še tisti, ki so za to pokicani in plačani, bi bilo pa sploh SUPER!

Dobro jutro, gospod Jakič in ostali v vodstvu AZS!!!

Edvard Bogataj

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 22, (as reported by Reuters)

Merlene Ottey missed out on an automatic spot to run the 100 meters at the Sydney Olympics when she could only finish fourth in the Jamaica trials final on Friday night.

But she gets a second chance of making the Olympic squad on Saturday when she contests the 200 meters and she could also still make it as part of the relay team.

Ottey, 40, needing a top-three finish to guarantee selection for the 100 meters at the Games, ran 11.27 seconds in the final with Peta-Gaye Dowdie retaining her title in 11.19.

It was Ottey's slowest effort of the three appearances she made at the meet. She had clocked 11.09 in the first round Thursday and 11.15 in the semifinal earlier on Friday.

Dowdie, the U.S. Collegiate 200-metre champion, survived a tight finish, to beat 1999 world championship 200-metre silver medallist Bev McDonald (11.20) and Tanya Lawrence (11.21).

Ottey, winner of seven Olympic medals and 14 world championship medals including two gold, has been at every summer Games since Moscow in 1980.

She said on Friday her enforced absence from athletics as a result of the drug-taking allegation had been like a ``death sentence'' but she remained confident she would get in shape in time for the Games.

Ottey said: "In about six weeks I can get to running under 11 seconds ... I've done it in the past. I have the experience and I have the confidence.''

Ottey was banned after testing positive for the controversial anabolic steroid nandrolone but the ban was lifted on July 3 by an International Amateur Athletic Federation panel.

Kingston, Jamaica - July 20

Merlene Ottey, trying to qualify for her sixth Olympic team, advanced to the semifinals of 100 meters Thursday at Jamaica's Olympic trials. She won her heat race in 11.09 seconds.

Ottey, who has kept a low profile since arriving in Jamaica five days ago, had a slow start but made up ground on runner-up Tanya Lawrence then eased up at the line for the win.

"With 30 meters to go I was in a daze, but I got going and it was easy after that,'' she said and than added:

Merlene needs to finish in the top three of Friday's 100 m final to qualify for the event at the Sydney Olympics.