Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, who turns 41 in May, said today her decision to retire at the end of the year would depend on her performances. Ottey arrived in Johannesburg today to compete at meetings in Pretoria on Friday and Stellenbosch a week later.
"In recent years I've just been taking it one year at a time. If I finish a season on a very good note then I will continue. If it's not too good then I will stop," Ottey said in an interview with Reuters. "So far there have been very good results and I've been ranked in the top six in the world and for me that was no reason to retire.”
"I enjoy what I'm doing and I've won quite a few medals,” Ottey added. "I think why I'm going on is just because it's fun, for me. It's a challenge. I like to see what I can do against the others, and I'm still doing well."
The eight-time Olympic medallist was kept out of competition last year until a drug ban was lifted in July, two months before the Sydney Olympics. (Reuters)
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
