KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- Jamaica’s undisputed queen of sprint, Merlene Ottey, is to be awarded with an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Technology (UTech).
Ottey, is Jamaica’s most decorated female athlete, who became the English-speaking Caribbean’s first female Olympic medallist after taking bronze in the 200m in Moscow in 1980. She is only the second person to receive such an award after Olympian Dennis Johnson, who founded Utech’s sports programme, and contributed to the development of the Faculty of Science and Sport.
Ottey, who transferred allegiance to Slovenia in 2001, has the record for most Olympic Games appearances, seven, and most World Championships medals won, 14.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Ottey is ranked sixth on the all-time list of 100m and third on the all-time list of 200m sprinters.
She was Jamaica’s Sportswoman of the Year for a record 15 times and will be presented with her award during Saturday’s Ben Francis meet at her alma mater.
