Nelson Mandella

25 Years of Laureus

Proved she was the No 1 all-round female athlete in the world with a gold medal winning  performance in the heptathlon in Athens.  Kluft, 21, became the first native-born Swedish woman to win an Olympic title.
Her victory in Athens followed her win in the World Championship in Paris in 2003, and completed her full set of Olympic, World, European and Junior World titles.  She has taken just three years to go from new kid on the block to mistress of all she surveys.
The Swedish athlete leapt onto the global stage when she won the heptathlon at the World Championships in 2003, and all with a massive smile on her face.  At just 21 she has become only the third heptathlete to score more than 7,000 points in an event.
Her speed is her biggest strength, giving her big points in the sprints, long jump and high jump.  A bundle of competitive energy, she never lets up for a second, encouraging herself before each jump, sprint and throw and punching the air at the result.
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