Merlene Ottey is set to receive Jamaica’s fourth highest honour on Heroes’ Day in October.
Ottey, who represented Jamaica from 1978 to 2000 before switching to Slovenia, is described as the “Bronze Queen.”
The winner of nine Olympic medals for Jamaica, among them six bronze, will get the Order of Jamaica (OJ).
She also won 14 World Championships medals, among them back-to-back 200m titles in Stuttgart 1993 and Gothenburg 1995.
Ottey is the 7th ranked 100m sprinter with 10.74, and 4th ranked for 200m with 21.64.
The 60-year-old is the current world indoor record holder for 200m at 21.87 seconds, set in 1993. She is fourth-ranked on the all-time 60m list.
Ottey was named Ambassador of Jamaica after her gold medal win in the 1993 world championships.
She has also been named Jamaican Sportswoman of the year 13 times between 1979 and 1995.
Ottey will join track and field legend Usain Bolt as track and field athletes with Order of Jamaica honour.
Deon Hemmings to get CD
Meanwhile, Deon Hemmings, the Jamaican woman to win the Olympic Games title, is also down to be honoured on the day.
Hemmings, who won the 400m hurdles at the Atlanta 1996 Games, will receive the Order of Distinction (Commander Class).
She also won two silver medals at the Olympic Games, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay in Sydney 2000.
Hemmings won two bronze and a silver at the World Championships level.
We want to hear from you, but before you do, HIT the share buttons below to share this and other stories with friends.
Join our lively discussion by leaving a comment below. Also, join OUR Message Boards (FORUM) for more discussions —- Please remember to follow us on social media – subscribe to our social media pages –
Trackalertstv 
Trackalerts 
Trackalerts 
Trackalerts
Congratulations, Merlene
No matter what
You always have people speaking negatively
Let sleeping dogs lied congratulations to you miss Ottey thank you for your contribution to Jamaica 🇯🇲 be bless for a job well done
Without a doubt she deserve it…
Congratulations Dr Ottey Had there been a Jamaica Independence Gala this year, you would probably be honored. I was honored to be a guest at your Honorary Dictortorate conferring by my Alma Mater UTech on the tracks at Vere Technical
That is the highest order she can receive as the others are for PM, Governor Generals and foreign dignitaries usually. Congrats to her! Well deserved!
Why the 4th highest and not the first or second. Please enlighten me…🇧🇸🇧🇸
we wait till she change citizenship…. smh…. younger people nuh understand seh every olympic a just she we look forward to inna di sprints… She should be OM and not OJ….
Dem never do nutten to her in Sydney they wanted to removed petagaye dowdy so that melee could have competed dowdy did make the team at trials so y u saying this sounds like an hater.
Congratulations well done 👏
Congrats Merlene
Merlene Ottey….the original athletic pioneer of Jamaica 🇯🇲… well deserved…
Well overdue. What took them so long ?
VERY MUCH…WAY TOO LONG. But I guess she’s still alive and they are giving it to her now.
Well deserved.
It’s about time
A true queen of Jamaica’s Track and Field history…was beaten by these doped up American athletes…eg.. Flo Jo etc.. say no more..🙏🏿
She should have gotten this long time ago .
Congratulations to both ladies! I am happy for them, especially for Merlene Ottey. I hope the Minister of Sport will also apologize to her on behalf of the country for what the athletes did to her in Sydney. That is well overdue and will go a long way in healing the wounds that still remain from those unwarranted actions.
Dem never do nutten to her in Sydney they wanted to removed petagaye dowdy so that melee could have competed dowdy did make the team at trials so y u saying this sounds like an hater.
The greatest female athlete the world have ever seen
Firstly, I must say fulgratulations to both of these truly esteemed ladies. They are two of our Olympians whose statues should have been erected long before Bolt, Asfa, and Shelly-Ann with no disrespect.
At the end of the day, they say it’s better to be late than never. It’s a well-deserved acknowledgment and one that will inspire many aspiring and upcoming athletes. #Jamaica #JahMeckYa
about time too she deserves it a million times look what she being doing for our Jamaica from day 1 real queen
She should have got it ages ago took dem long enough
Congratulations, Merlene
About time. She should be in the statue class.
If the Jamaican govt considers her deserving of the award, what has it got to do with me?🤔
A well deserved and long overdue accolade
She should have gotten her OJ years ago, if anyone here understands track and field when Merlene Ottey was representing Jamaica she was up against athletes that was using performance enhancing drugs from USA and Russia and other first world country but still was doing dam go. For that she will forever be the greatest athlete that would represent 🇯🇲. Respect Ms.Ottey long overdue
Please don’t forget my personal friend and teammate Raymond Stewart..another sprint factory
Congratulations
It is about time! This is so long overdue for one of Jamaica’s finest sprint Quees, Merlene! Dion also deserves the recognition,too!
Well deserved👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Queen of Track and Field!!!
SHE DESERVES THE ORDER OF NATIONAL HEROIN
Congratulations, Merlene! Well deserved!!
Great woman, great athlete!
Well deserving, congrats Merlene you’re loved
Have no problem with that she is one of our many champion the world see
Yes she work hard to put Jamaica on the map she deserves it
She is to get one of the highest honors. She fought valiantly against the dopers of The USA and still performs at her best and make little Jamaica a force to reckon with.
Well deserved! At long last. I was disappointed that the London Olympics 2012 did not give her special recognition. The Jamaican Gov’t should also have made much of her stellar achievements also at the London Olympics!
The Grand Dame of sprinting. The venerable Mrs. Merlene Ottey. Congrats!
Over due
Congratulations Marlene long overdue Jamaica proud
Yes, I agree..She kept us relevant
Bassett Thompson the greatest female sprinter eva
100% yes. Congrats Merlene, well deserved.our first queen of the track.
Me glad she a get it now and not if she had pass
The original queen! No objections at all !!
Kevin James I second that statement
She deserve highest honors from IAAF too.
Congratulations from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
She deserves whatever comes her way dub da sprint queen
Andrew Nash tru
Well deserved, and long overdue!
She deserves it 100% without a doubt
She help to put Jamaica on the map.she deserved it.
Well deserved why is there a question
Better late than never well deserved
Oh yes! In total agreement and well deserve
Congrats to my friend Merlene
It’s all good right here Queen Merlene, nothing but love and respect 🌹❤️
Totally agree! She put in her work!
This should not be a debatable issue.
Never too late for a ray of sunshine; however she should have gotten this a long time ago.
Well deserved @merlene ottey sprint 👑
Yes I agree, she is so deserving of it , She was once our everything
She absolutely deserve it, she carry Jamaica on her bib for most of her career
Thx for your contribution to jamaica 🇯🇲 . She was always appreciated but not in this way . Thx Merlene 👍🏼
Shes the # 1 queen ,i dont know y it took them so damn long to give it to her,she paved the way for others so she will always ve the #1,congrats Merlene u well deserved it
About 20 years late IMHO. For many years she was the main ambassador for JAM and carried the island on her back. Her patriotism is without question, she was married to an American and like many of her peers could have chosen to represent that country.
Hugh Powell she was married to a Slovenian and rep Slovakia in her last years of track..yes after ja diss her
Whendi Bromley during her prime years when she kept JAM on the map she was married to Nat Page the US HJer/intermediate hurdler.
Hugh Powell I know, just pointing out that she was married to a Slovenian not an American
Whendi Bromley she was never married to a Slovenian. Ottey was once married to an American in her prime years and never switched allegiance. She started running for Slovenia when she could no longer make Jamaica’s team.
She should have gotten this long time ago but that’s us on a hole always waiting on others to acknowledge our great first
Listen she is respected the Caribbean over and no matter where a Jamaican goes they are still a Jamaican she represented well while she was there so let her enjoy the 4th highest award..congrats to merl the otti
The work is done she is great Congrats trail blazer.
Congratulations well deserved
Without reservations, I say “Well deserved!” She has truly earned such a prestigious honor. I do remember when she was the only athlete Jamaica could count on to win a medal at a major championship.
Mark Rhooms that’s remarkable.
No matter what
You always have people speaking negatively
Let sleeping dogs lied congratulations to you miss Ottey thank you for your contribution to Jamaica 🇯🇲 be bless for a job well done
We Jamaican People Owe This Woman A Lot In Sports. She Deserves Higher Than That. 🙏🏾❤️😊📖.
She love the sport so much that she switch to represent a country that is less fortunate…. #Go_Merlene
This shouldn’t have taken so darn long… super deserving of this… congratulations! The real queen…
Congratulations!
Congratulations.merlene ottey.you are my hero
CONGRATULATIONS Merlene Ottey an Honor well deserved.
Deserve it
The Original ❤️
Well deserved! This should have happened a long long time ago, But in God’s timing
Always #1 my Golden Girl!
Very well deserved !!!
GBR