Jamaica-born sprint legend Merlene Ottey believes that state of track and field in the country is better off now than the days she donned the colours of black green and gold.

The 50-year-old sprinter, who now competes for Slovenia, is preparing to take part in the European Championships, if she is selected for that country's relay team.

"I think it's excellent because when I was running it was just me alone," Ottey was quoted as saying on the timesofindia.com website.

"Now we are proving that we can produce more than one and dominate. The country is behind them and there's a lot more money in sports.

"They are getting the money and the support and people can afford to focus on the sport in school and train and they get the results. It looks good for the future because the younger athletes are more motivated."

Ottey one of the sports most celebrated athletes has won nine Olympic medals, more than any other woman in the sport. The athlete left Jamaica following the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, after her inclusion on the team that year at the expense of then promising young sprinter Peter-Gay Dowdie, caused a wave of controversy locally and even a protest at the Games.

Ten years later the evergreen athlete is still enjoying competing and intends to run as long as she can.

According to Ottey, she is still enjoying the sport and at this stage of her career faces very little pressure.

"I think as long as I can still run, I will run," Ottey said.

"There are masters competitions going on so it's not like I'm the oldest person out there," she added.

"The problem is that competing with people my age doesn't do me any good at the moment as I am a few metres faster than them, so what can I do?"

However, the athlete has conceded that the event currently underway in Barcelona is likely to be the last time she takes part in a major competition.

"Unless I get a huge miracle it's possible (this will be my last) but we will see," she said. "Over the years I've learned a lot about myself and about others and what I can do," Ottey said.

Despite having a number of medals, which began with a bronze medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Ottey has never won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. The sprinter has, however, won three World Championships gold medals.