View source for Milton Ottey

{{Short description|Canadian high jumper (born 1959)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name               = Milton Ottey
| image              = Micheal Ottey.jpg
| nationality = Canadian
| sport       = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event       = High jump
| club        =York Optimists/Toronto/Transamerica Life TC
| birth_date  = December 29, 1959 
| birth_place = [[May Pen]], [[Clarendon Parish, Jamaica]]
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height      =178 cm
| weight      =66 kg
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[track and field athletics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1982 Commonwealth Games|1982 Brisbane]] | High jump}}
{{MedalGold| [[1986 Commonwealth Games|1986 Edinburgh]] | High jump}}
}}
[[File:Milt-ottey-high-jump.jpg|thumb|221x221px]]
'''Milton Bruce Ottey''' (born December 29, 1959) is a retired Canadian [[high jump]]er who competed at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] and the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] and won two [[Commonwealth Games]] gold medals.<ref name=oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66204 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Ottey came to Canada at around the age of 7. He attended and graduated from high school in the [[Toronto District School Board]] (TDSB). He received a full [[athletic scholarship]] from the [[University of Texas at El Paso]] (UTEP), where he received his bachelor's degree in education.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

He was the number-one-ranked high jumper in the world in 1982 and a 23-time indoor and outdoor national champion in the men's high jump event.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} In between his two Olympic appearances, Ottey won the British [[AAA Championships]] title in the high jump event at the [[1985 AAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

After retiring from active competition, Ottey spent several years coaching at various universities throughout the United States, including [[University of Texas at El Paso]], [[Kent State University]] and [[University of New Mexico]] before moving back to [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]].{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} Ottey is the owner and director OT Fitness Educational Services, inc. Ottey took over the reins of the UK kids core skills development program International Fun and Team Athletics (IFTA) in Canada. OT Fitness provide programs in schools that promote health and fitness to assist in the core skills development of children and teens. OT Fitness looks at the obstacles to a healthy lifestyle and helps kids jump over them, crawl under them, run around them and tackle them head on. Ottey resides in Scarbough with his wife and three children. He is a cousin of nine-time Olympic medallist [[Merlene Ottey]].{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Ottey was inducted into the Athletics Canada Hall of Fame in 2012. These days, the 59-year-old owns and operates OT Fitness, a company that runs health and wellness programs for school-age kids.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black History Month: When Milt Ottey jumped, Canada soared |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/black-history-month-milt-ottey-jumped-canada-soared/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.sportsnet.ca |language=en}}</ref>

Ottey is currently an assistant track coach specializing in jumps at York University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black History Month: When Milt Ottey jumped, Canada soared |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/black-history-month-milt-ottey-jumped-canada-soared/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.sportsnet.ca |language=en}}</ref>

==Achievements==
* 7-Time Canadian National High Jump Champion (1981–84, 1986–88)
* Won the [[NCAA]] & [[USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships|US National]] titles in 1982.
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{CAN}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1979
|[[Athletics at the 1979 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]
|[[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
|bgcolor="cc9966"| 3rd
|High jump
|2.19 m
|-
|[[1979 IAAF World Cup|World Cup]]
|[[Montreal, Quebec]], Canada
|5th
|High jump
|[[1979 IAAF World Cup results#High jump|2.10 m]]<sup>1</sup>
|-
|1981
|[[1981 IAAF World Cup|World Cup]]
|[[Rome, Italy]]
|5th
|High jump
|[[1981 IAAF World Cup results#High jump|2.15 m]]<sup>1</sup>
|-
|1982
|[[Athletics at the 1982 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Brisbane, Australia]]
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1982 Commonwealth Games – Men's high jump|2.31 m]]
|-
|rowspan=2|1983
|[[Athletics at the 1983 Summer Universiade|Universiade]]
|[[Edmonton, Canada]]
|15th
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1983 Summer Universiade – Men's high jump|2.20 m]]
|-
|[[1983 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Helsinki, Finland]]
|9th
|High jump
|[[1983 World Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump|2.24 m]]
|-
|1984
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]<ref name="SR">{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Milt Ottey |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ot/milt-ottey-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203182702/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ot/milt-ottey-1.html |archive-date=2016-12-03}}</ref>
|[[Los Angeles]], [[United States]]
|6th
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.29 m]]
|-
|1985
|[[Athletics at the 1985 Summer Universiade|Universiade]]
|[[Kobe, Japan]]
|4th
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1985 Summer Universiade – Men's high jump|2.26 m]]
|-
|1986
|[[Athletics at the 1986 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Edinburgh, Scotland]]
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1986 Commonwealth Games – Men's high jump|2.30 m]]
|-
|1987
|[[1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Indianapolis]], [[United States]]
|7th
|High jump
|[[1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's high jump|2.28 m]]
|-
|1988
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]<ref name="SR" />
|[[Seoul, South Korea]]
|17th (q)
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump|2.22 m]]
|-
|1990
|[[Athletics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Auckland]], New Zealand
|bgcolor="cc9966"| 3rd
|High jump
|[[Athletics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games – Men's high jump|2.23 m]]
|}
<sup>1</sup>Representing the Americas

<small>'''Note:''' Results with a q, indicate overall position in qualifying round.</small>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics|14356899|Milton Ottey}}
* {{Athletics Canada|milton-ottey|Milton Ottey}}
* {{CGF|38712|Milton Ottey}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|milton-ottey|Milton Ottey}}
* {{Olympedia|66204|Milt Ottey}}
* {{Team Canada|milt-ottey|Milt Ottey}}

{{Footer Commonwealth Champions High Jump Men}}
{{Footer US NC high jump Men}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ottey, Milton}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Athletes from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Canadian male high jumpers]]
[[Category:Canadian sportspeople of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Black Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Black Canadian track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Jamaican emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Canada]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada]]
[[Category:Kent State Golden Flashes coaches]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:UTEP Miners men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:UTEP Miners track and field coaches]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Canadian Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]