DeDee Nathan

May 29, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) Indiana Invaders' Olympian DeDee Nathan will compete in the heptathlon at the Hypo-Meeting Götzis, held in the Rhine valley in Vorarlberg, Austria at Moesle Stadium. The Hypo-Meeting Götzis is the world's premiere meet for the combined events.

The battle at the Hypo-Meeting Götzis features the world best athletes hailing from 15 countries including Sweden, Russia, Germany, Portugal, Italy, and the Ukraine.

Nathan, a two-time national champion in the heptathlon, won the 2000 Olympic Trials, was 9th at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and finished 7th at the 2001 World Championships. Nathan also won the 2001 heptathlon national championship and finished second in 2002. Nathan's heptathlon PR of 6577 points is the third best ever by an American.

Nathan, after focusing on graduate school for the past year, returns to competition for the first time after finishing second at last years' USATF National Championships. Nathan is looking for a season opener of 6200 plus points this weekend.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "Training under Coach Smith & Coach Freeman has her back on track to fitness levels similar to her World Indoor Championship in 1999 which lead into her heptathlon PR of 6577 points. She is very calm and determinedly focused on her remaining final two seasons of world class competition."

Nathan set the American Record in the pentathlon in route to winning the gold medal at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships, in Maebashi, Japan.

Hypo-Meeting Götzis:
http://www.meeting-goetzis.at/

For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg Harger at 317 289-4018 or online at: (email)