"Age doesn't count. I'm always as hungry and as motivated as I've ever been." - Ottey

GHENT, Belgium (CMC):

VETERAN JAMAICA-born sprinter Merlene Ottey is still competitive at age 46 and finished fourth over 60 metres at the Flanders Indoor meeting this past weekend.

Ottey, who switched allegiance from Jamaica to Slovenia in 2002, clocked 7.36 seconds for fourth place in the sprint event as Britain's Jeanette Kwakye won in 7.27 seconds.

Ukraine's Iryna Shtanhyeyeva (7.32) placed second and France's Muriel Hurtis was third in 7.33 seconds.

Seemingly satisfied with her run, Ottey, who turns 47 years old in May, hinted that she has no immediate retirement plans. "Age doesn't count. I'm always as hungry and as motivated as I've ever been," she said.

"I set goals and I try to achieve them. That is what sports is all about. When the major championships arrive, I want to be in. Never count me out," she said.

Records

Ottey has won a world record 14 World Championship medals, including 200-metre titles in 1993 and 1995, between 1983 to 1997 - more than any other athlete, male or female - and her failure to win an Olympic gold medal has been the only blemish on her colourful career haul of medals.

She has won eight Olympic medals, including a very narrow loss to Gail Devers in the 100m final in Atlanta in 1996, when she won silver, both runners clocking 10.94 seconds in a photo-finish.

Ottey still holds the world 200m indoor record at 21.87 seconds and has top-five spots on the all-time list of women's sprinters for 100 and 200m outdoors.

She is fourth fastest in the 100m at 10.74 seconds, behind the late Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49), Marion Jones (10.65) and Christine Arron (10.73) and with a personal best 21.64 seconds is third quickest ever on the 200m list behind Griffith-Joyner (21.34), and Jones (21.62).