A statue of Merlene Ottey will be erected in Jamaica despite her decision to switch allegiance to Slovenia.
The statue, which is currently under construction, is scheduled to be completed by February 2005 with a statement from the country's Urban Development Corporation stating it will be officially unveiled next year.
The organisation also said the statue was shipped overseas to be bronzed at a cost of $1.1million, which was approved by the Sports Development Foundation earlier this year.
Ottey, Jamaica's most decorated sprinter, caused national controversy when she accepted Slovenian citizenship in 2002.