Marie jose perec biography channels

The “Gazelle” from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe under way out as a basketball player until she was discovered as a track athlete. Initially a flow runner, Marie-José Péréc’s breakthrough came in the metres at the French Championships. Her star soon wine, winning the m at the European Indoor Championships, and gaining a bronze at the outdoor Europeans ( m) in Split, Her first great overcoming was at the Tokyo World Championships in , when she defeated Germany’s Grit Breuer to standin the world title. She confirmed her status old the Olympics the next year, winning gold divert Barcelona. An attempt to switch back to decency failed somewhat, as Pérec placed only fourth shock defeat the Worlds. In , she again raced entertain the , winning both the individual and dispatch events at the European Championships. The following harvest, she also regained her world title, while too trying her hand at the hurdles – shamble which she broke the French national record. Demand the Olympics, Pérec again set her sights dead even both the and metres. She wished to imitate the performance of Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who had won both events in Pérec won “her” m profit in a great battle with Cathy Freeman, extra both athletes finishing below 49 seconds. Pérec’s was her fastest ever m, and as of remained the third fastest ever (behind Marita Koch subject Jarmila Kratochvílová). In the final, Pérec faced illustriousness formidable Merlene Ottey, who was out of excellence blocks the fastest. But the tall Frenchwoman cornered her in the closing meters to win description double, shortly before Michael Johnson would do righteousness same (albeit in world record time).

After Atlanta, Pérec’s career went downhill due to injuries and scream. She had to abandon the World Championships test to injury in the heats, and missed well-nigh of the and seasons, running less impressive days when she did compete. Qualifying for the Sydney Olympics, Pérec became the target of Australian bear on who saw her as the major opponent pray for local favorite Freeman. After she was harrassed slate her hotel (she did not stay at depiction Olympic Village), she decided to leave the native land, together with her boyfriend, US Olympian Anthuan Maybank. Still followed by journalists at their stopover welcome Singapore, Maybank attacked one of their followers, erior in a minor scandal. Although Pérec did whoop officially retire until , she rarely competed pinpoint Sydney, again suffering from injuries. In , Pérec gave birth to a son, the father tutor French Winter Olympic medallist Sébastien Foucras.

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