Mary Decker facts for kids

Decker in 1982
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Birth name	Mary Teresa Decker
Born	(1958-08-04) August 4, 1958 (age 66) Bunnvale, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	168 cm
Weight	51 kg
Sport
Sport	Middle distance running
Event(s)	800–5000 m
Club	Athletics West, Eugene
Retired	1999
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:56.90 (1985) 1500 m: 3:57.12 (1983) Mile: 4:16.71 (1985) 3000 m: 8:25.83 (1985) 5000 m: 15:06.53 (1985) 10,000 m: 31:35.3 (1982)
Medal record Representing  United States World Championships Gold 1983 Helsinki 1500 m Gold 1983 Helsinki 3000 m Pan American Games Gold 1979 San Juan 1500 m

Mary Teresa Slaney, born Mary Decker on August 4, 1958, is a famous American runner. She competed in middle-distance and long-distance races.

During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 and 3000 meter races at the 1983 World Championships. She also held world records in the mile, 5000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Mary set 17 world records! She was the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

She also set 36 U.S. records in different races. Her 1500-meter record lasted 32 years, and her mile record lasted 38 years! In 2003, she joined the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Running Start

Mary Decker was born in Bunnvale, New Jersey. When she was ten, her family moved to Garden Grove, California. That's where Mary started running.

At age 11, she won her first local race. She joined school and local running clubs. Mary loved running so much that she once ran a marathon and four other long races in one week!

Mary's Amazing Career

Mary was known as a world-class runner even when she was a teenager. She was too young to go to the 1972 Summer Olympics at age 14. But in 1973, she became famous worldwide. She won an 800-meter race in Minsk, beating an Olympic silver medalist.

In 1973, Mary set her first world record. She ran an indoor mile in 4 minutes and 40.1 seconds. By 1974, she held world indoor records for 880 yards and 800 meters.

Mary faced some challenges with injuries. She had a muscle condition called compartment syndrome. This led to many injuries, like stress fractures in her leg. These injuries kept her from competing in the 1976 Summer Olympics. In 1978, she had surgery for her condition.

After getting better, she went to the University of Colorado at Boulder on a running scholarship. In 1979, she became the second American woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes and 30 seconds. In 1980, Mary was the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes and 20 seconds. This amazing time was 4 minutes and 17.55 seconds.

Mary did not compete in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. This was because the United States chose not to send athletes. However, she received a special Congressional Gold Medal for American athletes.

In 1981, Mary married fellow runner Ron Tabb. They later divorced in 1983. In 1982, using the name Mary Tabb, she broke the official world record for the mile. She ran it in 4 minutes and 18.08 seconds.

Career Highlights

In 1982, Mary Decker-Tabb set six world records! These records were for races from the mile to 10,000 meters. She won the James E. Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete in the U.S.

The next year, she achieved something special called the "Double Decker." She won both the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Mary was very good at winning races in the U.S. In Helsinki, she proved she could win against strong international runners.

After her double win, she received the Jesse Owens Award. Sports Illustrated magazine also named her Sportsperson of the Year. In 1983, Mary improved her U.S. 1500-meter record to 3 minutes and 57.12 seconds. This record stood for 32 years!

The 1984 Olympic Race

Mary Decker leading the 3000 m final at the 1984 Olympics. Zola Budd and Wendy Sly are to her right.

Mary was expected to win a gold medal in the 3000-meter race at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In the final race, Zola Budd, a runner from Great Britain, was running close to Mary.

Mary stayed very close to Budd in the crowded race. They accidentally touched, and Mary fell to the side of the track. She hurt her hip and could not finish the race. Maricica Puică of Romania won the race. Mary was carried off the track, crying.

At first, officials said Budd was at fault. But after watching videos of the race, they changed their minds. They said it was an accident. Mary later said that she was "very inexperienced in running in a pack." Budd and Decker later met again for a 2016 movie about the incident called The Fall.

Mary had a great year in 1985. She won many races in Europe. She set a new official world record for the women's mile, running it in 4 minutes and 16.71 seconds. This happened in Zurich, and she beat both Budd and Puică. Since that race, only a few runners have run faster.

Mary Decker at the 1988 Olympic trials

Mary took a break from running in 1986 to have her daughter. She missed the 1987 season due to another injury. She competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. She ran in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters but did not win a medal. She did not qualify for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Later Life

Mary had many stress fractures throughout her later career. These are small cracks in bones from repeated stress. She had over 30 surgeries on her legs and feet. She hoped these surgeries would help her run marathons again. However, she kept getting injured.

Mary retired with her husband, Richard Slaney, to their home in Eugene, Oregon. She still enjoys jogging every other day.

International Competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing  United States
1979	Pan American Games	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1st	1500 m	4:05.7
1983	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	1500 m	4:00.90
			1st	3000 m	8:34.62
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	DNF	3000 m	8:44.32 (heat)
1985	Grand Prix Final	Rome, Italy	1st	3000 m	8:46.38
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	8th	1500 m	4:02.49
			10th	3000 m	8:47.13
1991	Grand Prix Final	Barcelona, Spain	2nd	Mile	4:28.35
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	21st (h)	5000 m	15:41.30
1997	World Indoor Championships	Paris, France	DQ (2nd)	1500 m	4:05.22
(h) Indicates overall position in qualifying heats. DNF = did not finish. DQ = disqualified.