Mary Decker didn't win an Olympic medal, but it seems like she won just about everything else.

The former track and field star was the focus of ESPN's latest documentary in the "IX for 9" series celebrating the role of women in sports, which aired last night. Decker is highly regarded as one of the best track and field athletes in history; according to ESPN's 30 for 30 Twitter account, she still holds the U.S. record for the fastest mile.

She won medals in world championships and was even named the 1983 Sportswoman of the year by Sports Illustrated. ESPN said she won 36 American records and 17 world records, most of which came at a time when the United States was embroiled in some of the most heated political situations in the nation's history. Despite Decker's overwhelming success and accomplishments, her name hasn't always been in the same discussion as other top athletes -- simply because she never won an Olympic medal.

There was immediate reaction from sportswriters who tuned into last night's documentary, titled "Runner."

Chris Lotsbom, who serves as the Assistant Editor for Race Results Weekly, told me he thought it was great story. "The documentary really described the Mary Decker personality and showed just how captivating she was, not only as an athlete but as a person," Lotsbom said. "She is still considered by many as America's best distance runner in history, yet her career gets caught up in that one moment [at the Los Angeles Games]." 

In an article for ESPNW, Mechelle Voepel summarized the obstacles Decker faced in her long Olympic journey.

"She was barely too young to make the Olympic track and field team in 1972, injured in 1976, sidelined by the U.S. boycott in 1980, fell in an epic-drama 3,000-meter final in 1984, was still recovering from injury in 1988, didn't qualify in 1992 and was into her athletic twilight years in 1996."

Other writers also chimed in from Twitter. "Really surprised some sportswriters were so hard on Mary Decker for tears," tweeted ESPN sportswriter Jane McManus (@janesports). "Pretty human response to dashed dreams."

ESPN's Nine for IX series will continue Aug. 20 with a film called "The '99ers." The series wraps up on Aug. 27.