Sprinter Merlene Ottey has been selected in the Jamaican team for this year's Sydney Games after complete turnaround in the 40-year-old runner's fortunes.

Ottey, who competed as a teenager at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, was facing the end of her international athletics career just a month ago.

Since then she has been cleared to compete by the International Amateur Athletic Federation's arbitration panel after testing positive for nandrolone last year.

She has now been picked to run in the 100m, despite managing only fourth place in the Jamaican trials last Friday.

Ottey has won seven Olympic medals and 14 world championship medals, including two golds over 200 metres.

Olympic 400m hurdles women's champion Deon Hemmings and men's long-jump silver medallist James Beckford have also been selected in the 48-member Jamaican squad.