What is Merlene Ottey’s net worth?
Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican-Slovenian former professional athlete who has a net worth of %1.5 million.
She had a career as a track and field sprinter, holds the title of one of the greatest sprinters of all time, and is a 9-time Olympic medalist.
Merlene earned the title Sportswoman of The Year 15 times and is the current world indoor record holder for 200 meters, among many of her outstanding accomplishments.
The Origin Story
She was born on May 10, 1960, in Cold Spring, Hanover, Jamaica.
She and her six siblings were raised by her mother, Joan, and her father, Hubert whom she had a very close relationship.
Her father worked as a farmer, and her mother as a midwife. She credits her mom for her spark of interest in running track.
As a child, she gave Merlene a pamphlet detailing the track & field sport; from here, she was inspired.
While attending high school, she took the sport seriously and competed in local races.
It has been noted that she did so barefoot, which could be a testament to her innate passion for the sport.
@Getty
By the time she was only 14 years old, she was competing at a high level in local competitions and was outperforming everyone.
Her mother recognized her potential, so she signed her up for matches in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city.
Her mom was eager to have Merlene represent Jamaica in global competitions. She won multiple gold medals in 4×100 meter relay sprint competitions.
Her life as she knew it began to change when she enrolled at the American University of Nebraska in 1979, studying toward a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
Immediately after registering and settling into her classes, she signed up for the varsity track team, where her craft and advanced ability began to shine.
During her time as a student, she was invited to compete in the 1979 Pan American Games 200-meter race.
She did exceptionally well for her first race in America, taking home the bronze medal.
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Husband
Shortly after graduating from University, Merlene Ottey married her American boyfriend, Nathaniel Page, an athlete.
The marriage didn’t last long, and they would ultimately get divorced.
1980 marked the year Merlene officially became a professional athlete. She was invited to compete in the 1980 Moscow games, where she won an Olympic medal.
Further to this, she attended the 1982 Commonwealth Games and won her first professional gold medal in the 200 meters. Additionally, she won a silver medal in the 100 meters.
She trained and prepared for the World Games and the Olympics for the next eight years.
She was invited to compete in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, where she would go on to win gold in both competitions she competed in.
@Getty
She then went on to win the 1993 World Championship, and due to this incredible accomplishment, she sparked national pride among her Jamaican homeland. As a result, she earned the title of Ambassador of Jamaica.
During the height of her career in 1998, Merlene moved to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe.
During her time as a resident of Slovenia, she would continue to represent Jamaica in all competitions. However, when she was granted citizenship, she began to represent Slovenia.
Six years after relocating, Merlene was invited to compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she would represent Slovenia competing in the 100-meter race. She only made it to the semi-finals.
Merlene Ottey of Jamaica running in the Women’s 200 metres event at the 5th International Association of Athletics Federations IAAF World Championships – @Getty
For the following two years, she trained and prepared for future competitions.
In 2006, she was invited to compete in the 2006 European Championships for the 100 meters race. She made it to the semi-finals, finishing in fifth place. She was invited to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games following this competition.
She attended, but she came in as runner-up by just under 30 seconds.
In 2010, Merlene was invited to compete in the 2010 European Athletics Championships, where she would represent Slovenia in the 4×100 meter relay.
From the time she entered the competition through 2021, she has been the oldest participating athlete to partake in the event. Following this event, she continued to prepare and train for future contests.
Despite her age, she was eager and confident that it would not be a factor in slowing down or halting her career.
Her next competition was at the 2012 European Athletics Championships for the 4×100 meter relay.
Shortly after this competition, Merlene relocated to Switzerland for some time, but it was temporary. She didn’t compete in any competitions throughout her time residing there.
Merlene Ottey attends the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards at the Emirates Palace – @Getty
Up until 2016, Merlene held the world indoor record for 200 meters with a whopping 21.87 seconds.
She set this record in 1993 and retained it for 23 years until Jamaican track & field sprinter Shelley Ann Fraser-Pryce claimed the title in 2016. She still, however, holds the highest amount of Olympic medals won by any woman in track and field, totaling nine.
Additionally, she has had the highest number of Olympic appearances among all track and field athletes, totaling seven. Although she hasn’t won an Olympic gold medal, she certainly represents the pillar of success in her sport.
Net Worth
So, how much is Merlene Ottey worth? Merlene Ottey has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million, tied to her career as a professional athlete, sponsorships, and business deals.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.