Where are they now? Merlene Ottey

While in college, I started a sports column called "Where are they now?" to update readers on what notable athletes have been up to since retiring or fading away from the limelight. It's a series I've decided to start on my blog, including notables from the sports and entertainment world.

My first entry on this series is on Jamaican-born track queen Merlene Ottey, who many may remember for her photo-finish loss to American Gail Devers at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Both women finished in 10.94s, but were separated by 5,000th of a second. Remarkably it wasn't their closest finish. Both were separated by 100th of a second running 10.81s at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, the closest every finish at an international track & field meet.

Merlene Ottey, left, finished second to Gail Devers in this photo finish at the 1996 Olympic Games

Born in 1970, Ottey made her first world championship appearance in 1983. Yes, she's been piling up medals since Florence Griffith-Joyner dominated the sprints. She became Jamaica's most decorated female T&F athlete, amassing nine Olympic (three silvers and six bronzes) and 14 World Championship medals by 1997.

Ottey's legendary status took a hit in 1999 when she tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone at a July meet in Switzerland. She denied knowingly taking any banned substance, which she maintains to this day.

"I have lived my personal and athletic life with the utmost honesty and integrity," Ottey said in a statement released after her positive test. "I have applied only the highest ethical standards to myself and expect the same from others. I have always proclaimed fairness in sports and adamantly oppose the use of banned substances."

The IAAF, the sport's governing body, banned Ottey for two years, but withdrew the suspension when it was determined that too much time had passed before her "B" sample was tested.

Jamaican-born Merlene Ottey now competes for Slovenia

Today the 53-year-old Ottey remains a competitive athlete for Slovenia and has no desire to quit running. She was a member of Slovenia's 4x100m relay team at the 2012 European Championships and has been training for next month's World Championships in Moscow.

"It's my goal and we will see what happens," Ottey told the Jamaican Gleaner in February, about making Slovenia's team. "One day, probably I will stop. I came in and surprised everybody and surprised the world but I don't want to go out like that."

Merlene Ottey, 53, at a press conference in Jamaica in February

 She may have a point. Ottey's slowest time in the 100m is 11.96s, which posted as a 52-year-old. It may not be good enough to make it to the final of any race on the tour, but is still a respectable time that could get her on a weak team like Slovenia.

And if she can do that, why stop now?