GREECE: MERLENE OTTEY BEATEN BY ZHANNA PINTUSSEVICH AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Record ID:
649381
GREECE: MERLENE OTTEY BEATEN BY ZHANNA PINTUSSEVICH AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Title: GREECE: MERLENE OTTEY BEATEN BY ZHANNA PINTUSSEVICH AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Date: 9th August 1997
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 9, 1997) WIDE SHOT MERLENE OTTEY SPEAKING (ENGLISH): I CAME INTO THE MEETING, I MEAN THIS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS KNOWING MY BETTER TIMES WERE IN THE 100 METRES, IN THE 200 I DIDN'T REALLY THINK I HAD A CHANCE BUT AFTER THE 100 METRES DIDN'T GO WELL FOR ME I DECIDED I SHOULD RUN THE 200 METRES AND NOT WITHRAW AND TO SEE IF I COULD GET A MEDAL AND NOT COME OUT EMPTY HANDED. PHYSICALLY, I KNOW THAT I WASN'T IN THE RIGHT CONDITION AND I WAS HOPING THAT THINGS WOULD GO LUCKY FOR ME WHICH WOULD BE RARE. WHEN MARIE-JO (PEREC) PULLED OUT OF THE 200 METRES THAT REALLY OPENED UP A LITTLE GAP. I SAID OKAY, YOU PROABLY CAN TAKE A MEDAL BUT I THOUGHT THE GOLD MEDAL WOULD HAVE BEEN BETWEEN MYSELF AND SRI LANKA AND POSSIBLY INGER MILLER, THE SURPRISE WAS ZHANNA (PINTUSSEVIC) ON FIRST PLACE BUT TRACK AND FIELD IS LIKE THAT. AND YES, THE CROWD WAS BEHIND ME AND I WISH THAT EVERYTIME THEY KEPT CHEERING THAT IT WOULD LIFT ME OR PUT SOME ENERGY IN MY LEGS BUT I WAS JUST TOO FATIGUED. I WILL NOT DO MUCH OF THE 200 METRES BECAUSE I AM IN NO SHAPE FOR THAT SO I WILL FOCUS ON THE 100 METRES THIS YEAR AND STARTING NEXT YEAR I WILL COMPLETELY ELINIMATE THE 200 METRES AND CONCENTRATE O THE 100 METRES. I THINK IM STILLL A BIG THREAT IN THE 100 METRES AND I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A DISAPPOINTMENT TELL ME TO QUIT. I THINK I CAN STILL RACE WELL IN THE 100, AND 200 I SHOULD STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN DO A LOT BETTER TRYING TO DO THE ENDURANCE I WILL ONLY GET SICKER AND SICKER SO I HAVE TO TAKE A RACE THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE ALL THAT RIGOROUS TRAINING AND FOCUS ON THE SHORTER SPRINT. Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 24th August 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA6FLWLJ5UDIEOFA4V6YYJ7V5Q5
- Story Text: Merlene Ottey's four-year reign as world 200 metres champion ended on Friday (August 8) as she was beaten by Zhanna Pintussevich of the Ukraine.
The 37-year old Jamaican visibly ran out of gas in the last few strides after leading for most of the race and faded to third behind Susanthika Jayasinghe who won Sri Lanka's first ever medal in a major athletics championship.
Despite that Ottey won her 34th medal in a major championship and added to her own record of 13 world championships medals.
On Saturday (August 9) the veteran sprinter said she felt she had not been in the right physical condition to race.
She said: "In the 200 I didn't really think I had a chance but after the 100 metres didn't go well for me I decided I should run the 200 metres and not withdraw and to see if I could get a medal and not come out empty-handed." Ottey, who has won at least one medal at every world championships since they began in 1983, said she was surprised that Zhanna Pintussevic won the 200 metres gold medal.
She added that she would now not take part in many 200 metre races and would foucs on running in 100 metre events. "I'm still a big threat in the 100 metres", she said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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