World champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden claimed the gold medal of the women's heptathlon event at the Olympic Games here on Saturday.

Carolina Kluft of Sweden celebrates after winning the women's heptathlon gold medal with 6,952 points at the Olympic Games in Athens, 21 August 2004.

The 20-year-old collected a total of 6,952 points for the win and kept her three-year winning streak intact.

Kluft, who won the world champion last year with 7,001 points, lived up to her billing as the red-hot favorite of the event with the world's season best result.

"It's been great," Kluft said. "The girls, the audience, the atmosphere. I've had a lot of fun. I am the type of person who needs to have fun to perform well. It's the feeling inside that allows me to perform well. I love to compete, but it must be fun. "

After two big titles to her name, the Swede thinks she is still not a star.

"I'm not a star yet," she said. "I'm just a little girl. I never think of winning or scoring a certain amount of points. I'm there to have fun."

Lithuania's Austra Skujyte won the silver with 6,435 points and Britain's Kelly Sotherton took the bronze in 6,424.

"It's incredible," said Skujyte. "I can't believe it. I did not consider a silver as one of the possibilities."

Skujyte, 24, spoke high of Kluft and said she hopes to narrow that gap against the champion.

"Kluft is way out there," she said. "Although she is four years younger, all I can do is take it step by step and try to improve year by year to close the gap."