Ottey's Olympic reminder

Merlene Ottey: Pushing for the Olympics

Merlene Ottey pushed her case for inclusion into the Jamaican Olympic 100m team as she stormed to a 10.91 seconds victory at the Runaway Bay meeting on Australia's Gold Coast.

Ottey is currently a reserve after finishing fourth in the Jamaican trials, but her timely return to form will no doubt give the Jamaican selectors an additional problem to contend with.

Although a following wind of 2.4m denied Ottey a legal time, she was happy to return to winning ways again.

"I've trained really hard for the last two months and that felt good today.

"It was my goal to qualify for a sixth Olympics and now I just have to wait to see if Jamaica will let me run," she said.

Faster times

Ottey finished behind Peta-Gayle Dowdie, Beverley McDonald and Tanya Lawrence in the trials but has since clocked faster times than all three.

In the past they have made room for others to prove their fitness and I was just hoping for the same treatment.

  Merlene Ottey

The veteran was recently cleared by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) to compete again after testing positive for nandrolone last year.

But the Jamaican selectors have insisted that Ottey will only be included if any of the three sprinters lose form, but Ottey revealed her disappointment not to be give special dispensation after the problems with her drugs ban.

She added: "I've represented Jamaica for 20 years and never before finished out of the top three in qualifying.

"In the past they have made room for others to prove their fitness and I was just hoping for the same treatment."