http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=23886.html
Ottey trains in Malta, spurred on by new challenges
Thursday 22 January 2004
Bemedalled ex-Jamaican sprint queen Merlene Ottey, who now competes for Slovenia, is presently training on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and at 43 years of age is still finding new challenges to spur her on.
“I always look for somewhere to train in January,” confirmed Ottey. “In the past I’ve been either to the Grand Canaries or to California. This year, I wanted somewhere which isn’t that far away.”
So far, Malta has proven to be an excellent choice.
“Here you have everything. To find a hotel like the Fortina Spa that has all the facilities for training and also the massaging and rehabilitation and relaxing is extremely positive. The stadium I like because it is open all the time and there is everything that I need to train properly.”
Talking the future…
Talking to Merlene Ottey, it is impossible not to be in awe. She is, after all, a living legend and arguably the finest female sprinter of all time. It is equally inevitable that talk eventually turns to her future. Ottey hardly shows any signs of slowing down, let alone stopping. Yet it is difficult to imagine what could motivate an athlete who has won practically everything there is to win.
“This is why I set my own goals,” she explains. “People always say that after a certain age you cannot do certain things. So, I set my own goals and see how fast I can run at 43. And this is what motivates me.”
How does it feel to run against much younger athletes?
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” she replied. “I set my own goals and focus on what my goals are, not the others. Obviously, to compete with the best in the world is an extra bonus.”
A philosophical outlook which is rendered easier by the fact that Ottey can still run faster than most athletes.
“I’m glad that I’m 43 and can still beat them!” she smiled.
Running for Slovenia
Proving the doubters wrong seems to give Ottey particular satisfaction. So, too, do new challenges. Two years ago, she chose to start running for Slovenia instead of Jamaica, a decision that was greatly influenced by the criticism she sustained about her continued selection ahead of younger Jamaican athletes.
“Well, Jamaica has a lot of athletes. There was this big fuss because people said “you’re too old” and I thought fine, if I’m too old I’ll find another country where I’m appreciated. Slovenia doesn’t mind if you’re 25 or 43. If you’re good enough there’s no question about it,” she said.
“I’m here for Slovenia and I want to achieve so much for them.”
Hopes for Athens
In particular, she wants to do well at the coming Olympics.
“Every time I’ve been to an Olympics I’m asked whether I’ll be there the next time. I want to go to Athens because I’m running for a new country and this was what pushed me towards going to another Olympics.”
For the first leg in that journey to Athens, Ottey chose Malta to base her winter training camp, a trip which came about through a chance meeting with MAAA officials at the last World Championships.
Indoor Season
Her training is focused on preparing for the indoor season.
“My first competition is in Moscow next month so I’m really preparing for the indoors. I will go step by step. At the last World Indoor championships (Birmingham 2003) I was fourth (60m) so I think that if I get close to that then I will be very happy.”
“Why should I stop?”
Eventually it will be the turn of the Olympics, after which the debate about Ottey’s future in the sport will start all over again.
"Actually, I thought about stopping in the early 90s. The first time that I wanted to quit was after the '84 Olympics.
"At the time, people thought that if you were 25 you were too old. But then I ran my best right after. I thought that if I’m the number one in the world then why should I stop?
"You cannot stop when you’re number one. That’s what always happened to me. Every year, I was always first, second or third and I couldn’t stop.
“Now, I have it in me to run because it is for a different country, it is a different Merlene and it is a bigger challenge for me. So, if I had one season where I felt that I had done everything possible and I’ve done everything I could do, then perhaps I will stop.”
A sport science future…
Ottey is adamant that she will remain in the sport, although as yet she is undecided about her role. “I have my own company in Slovenia and we’re expanding to London. We’re working in sport to measure the reaction time of the muscle. Right now we’re working with the British Institute of Sport. Ashia Hansen is one of our athletes. So I will remain in sports in one way or another.
“I want to do something but I don’t want to spend my entire life being a full time coach. I need time for myself, I’m a person that likes to train and I also like my time off to do something different. I like to travel, so I don’t think that I could stay in one place as a coach.”
Coaching, at least for now, seems to be out of the picture. “The worst thing for me would be to get someone who doesn’t want to train and you have to push them because I’m not that type of person. I love to train and nobody has to push me to do. I’d be lucky to find athletes like me who like training.”
Maltese talent
Yet, her love for athletics and eagerness to see that it continues to develop is clearly evident, especially when she talks about Slovenia.
“Like other small countries, it will take a while for athletics to grow. The established athletes like myself will have to try and do better to attract more money into the sport,” she says.
Her experience means Ottey is better suited than most to talk about the possibility of a country like Malta producing a world-class athlete. Something she feels there is the potential to achieve.
“I think it is quite possible,” she said. "I think you probably have a lot of talent here. But you have to find these people, the coaching has to be good, you have to build a positive image.
"Also, you don’t have to over-train the athletes. Sometimes people think that the more you do, the better but that is not the case. You have to know which exercise is suitable.
“I think that it is possible - why not?”
Paul Grech of the Times of Malta (www.timesofmalta.com) for the IAAF
