50-year-old Slovenian sprinter Merlene Ottey is oldest to compete at Euro Championships

50-year-old sprinter Ottey is oldest at Euros

BARCELONA, Spain — Fifty-year-old Merlene Ottey is the oldest athlete to compete at the European Championships after anchoring Slovenia’s 400 women’s relay team.

Ottey, a naturalized Slovenian of Jamaican origin, surpassed the record on Saturday at Barcelona’s Olympic stadium. The mark was previously held by 47-year-old French marathon runner Nicole Brakebusch-Leveque.

Slovenia failed to reach Sunday’s final, finishing seventh with a time of 44.30 seconds. Ukraine won the heat in 43.24 seconds.

Ottey has won 29 medals at major competitions, including seven Olympic Games starting with Moscow in 1980. She won bronze in the 200 at the 1992 Barcelona Games when she was 32.