INDIANAPOLIS - Mary Decker Slaney winning gold medals in the women's 1,500m and 3,000 meters at the 1983 World Outdoor Championships was honored by USA Track & Field as the 12^th greatest moment in U.S. track and field history in the last 25 years.

A member of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, Slaney's greatest international achievement came at the 1983 World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, where she won the 1,500 and 3,000 meters -- a feat that helped earn her the title of Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for 1983.

Known at that time as Mary Decker, she won the 1,500m in a titanic battle with Russia's Zamira Zaytseva that wasn't settled until the final 10 meters, when Decker's smooth stride finally overtook her rival. Decker won the race in 4 minutes, 00.90 seconds as the vanquished Zaytseva fell five meters from the finish before rolling across the line in 4:01.19.

Decker grabbed the early lead in the 3,000 meters and held on throughout until two-time Olympic 1,500m champion Tatyana Kazankina of the Soviet Union briefly wrested the lead from her on the final straight. Decker responded by displaying a strong kick of her own in retaking the lead and winning the gold medal in 8:34.62.

A four-time Olympic team qualifier, Mary Decker Slaney was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003. The only athlete ever to hold every American record from 800 meters to 10,000 meters, she continues to own the U.S. women's records in the 1,500m (3:57.12), mile (4:16.71) and 3,000m (8:25.83).

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