Mary Decker
Chronology
| 1958 | Born August 4 in Bunnvale, New Jersey |
| 1968 | The Decker family relocates to southern California |
| 1969 | Enters and wins her first running competition, a parks board cross-country race |
| 1972 | Recognized as a world-class runner, but is too young to try out for the 1972 Olympics |
| 1974 | X-rays reveal several improperly healed stress fractures in her lower legs |
| 1976 | As a high school senior, misses the chance to compete in the 1976 Olympics due to her stress fractures |
| 1977-78 | Attends University of Colorado at Boulder on a track scholarship |
| 1980 | Sets American record in the 800-meter race and world records in the 880-yard and 1,500-meter races |
| 1980 | Qualifies for and is favored to medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which she misses due to the American boycott of the Games |
| 1981 | Marries Ron Tabb |
| 1983 | Divorces Ron Tabb |
| 1984 | Favored to medal in the 3,000-meter event at the Los Angeles Olympics, but gets her feet tangled with South African runner, Zola Budd; Decker stumbles over the railing into the infield, pulling a hip muscle and falling out of the race |
| 1984 | Unable to compete for the rest of the year due to hip injury sustained at the Olympics |
| 1985 | Marries Richard Slaney |
| 1986 | Misses the 1986 indoor and outdoor running seasons due to the birth of her daughter, Ashley |
| 1987 | Misses 1987 outdoor season because of injuries |
| 1988 | Misses 1988 indoor season because of injuries |
| 1988 | Qualifies for the 1988 Olympic team, but does not medal |
| 1992 | Fails to qualify for the 1992 Olympic team |
| 1996 | Qualifies for the 1996 Olympic team, but does not medal |
| 1997 | At the age of 38, in her first appearance at the U.S. Indoor Championships in 23 years, wins the women's 1,500-meter run |
| 1998 | Tests positive for a high level of testosterone, and undergoes a series of related court hearings to determine if she is on steroids |
| 1999 | Her name is cleared by the U.S. Track Federation, but the International Federation removes her name from all post-1996 records |
Additional topics
- Mary Decker - Awards And Accomplishments
- Mary Decker - Repairing The Damage
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