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French star Marie-Jose Perec flees Sydney
French athletics star Marie-Jose Perec, who fled Australia on Wednesday night over what she claimed was a stalking incident, was questioned by police in Singapore on Thursday for assaulting a television cameraman.
''Because of this unfortunate incident she has decided to
withdraw from Saturday's competition,'' a Reebok statement said.
However, the hotel on Sydney's Darling Harbour where Perec had been staying said they had received no report of any security
breach.
Meanwhile, French athletics chiefs pleaded to Marie-Jose Perec to call them, after the reigning 200m and 400m Olympic champion left just 36 hours before the heats of the 400m, the only title she is defending in Sydney.
The head of the French delegation Michel Vial said: “She has
not officially forfeited (the race) and we would like her to
call us.”
Perec, 32, won an unprecedented 200-400 metres double four
years ago in Atlanta and the 400 metres title in 1992 in Barcelona. She was expected to be Australian Cathy Freeman's main rival over one lap in Sydney.
Bureau Report