Product Review

Mary Decker obliterated opponents and records with blazing speed and a starving hunger to win. She dominated her sport, holding U.S. records in every distance from 800 to 10,000 meters, and she did it all without the Olympics. She was too young in 1972, hurt in 1976 and shut out by the U.S. boycott in 1980. As Sports Illustrated s cover Sportswoman of the Year in 1983, she was ready: 1984 was the target, with the Olympics in Los Angeles and her skills at their 25 year-old peak. The world was buzzing about Deckers shot at gold and her match-up against the young, barefooted new star, Zola Budd. But the story leads to a single shocking moment in the 1984 Games, with Mary writhing on the ground in physical pain and emotional heartbreak, with the whole world watching.