At the opening press conference for the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, Carolina Kluft of Sweden told the enthralled crowd of press about her 2005 competition plans and her philosophy of competition.

'I enjoyed winning in Athens in 2004 and in Paris in 2003. The differences were that in 2004, there were so many different sports and sportspeople. In 2003, it was all athletics. In terms of the competitions, they were pretty much alike--and I had fun at both."

Stressing the ability to have fun at world class levels of competiton, the world's greatest woman athlete, a spokesperson for Reebok, was one of the examples used by Reebok as proof of their reemergence as a world running footwear power.

Chief Marketing Officer for Reebok Dennis Baldwin said, "This is our first year of involvement with the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, and we look to do great things in the future. But besides making great product, our support of athletics is shown by the athletes that we support on the world stage." Baldwin then introduced miler Kevin Sullivan, from Canada, Carolina Kluft of Sweden and Kim Smith of New Zealand.

Kluft spent more time with the press, and spoke about several matters of importance to athletics fans everywhere. "I am going to do the pentahtlon this March at the Euro Indoors. Besides competing in Boston, I will compete once in England and then focus on competitions in Sweden until the Euro Indoors. After that, I will rest and then begin to work on my training for Helsinki. It will almost be like competing at home... it is just an hour airplane ride from Sweden."

Kluft has been a huge part of the reemergence of athletics in Sweden. Yet, this very tough competitor analyzes herself this way: "I am strong in the jumps, but weak in the throws. For me to do well in the jumps, I just relax, and the jumps come to me. However, in the throws, I must focus on every movement, and every thought. I still get nervous before the competition, but I do not let it overwhelm me. I try to stay focused on the fun."

The fun of winning gold medals at both Paris and Athens in the heptathlon is beyond this writer. Multi events are our sports equivalent of total war-- and the competitors are left exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Carolina Kluft has a wonderfully healthy attitude about sports and competition, but underneath that is a very tough competitior.

Kluft also told this writer that she would "see it as an honor to compete on a Swedish women's relay team at Helsinki. However, first they must qualify and then, if they ask me, I wll be honored."

The Reebok Boston Indoor Games marks the first athletics event that Reebok, a former IAAF sponsor, has titled in North America in nearly ten years. The meet is the first in the VISA Championship Series, a group of fthree indoor meets thtat showcase many of the world's top athletics competitiors to an enthusiastic U.S. indoor crowd. The Reebok Boston Indoor Games will take place on Saturday, January 29.