Perec's Olympics end with Singapore swing

Olympic champion Marie-Jose Perec has withdrawn from the Sydney Games after a bizarre series of events which saw her flee Sydney and ended with her being released after spending 11 hours being quizzed by Singapore police over an attack by her boyfriend on a cameraman.

French Olympic Committee president Henri Serandour and French sports minister MarieGeorge Buffet confirmed that Perec, who was due to begin the defence of her 400 metres title today, would not compete. "Marie-Jose Perec left Australian territory on Wednesday, September 20th, which means she has withdrawn from the Sydney Olympic Games," they said. "The French delegation doesn't know the reasons but it would like to clarify that it is in no way linked to an anti-doping test."

Perec and her boyfriend Anthuan Maybank were questioned by police in Singapore over an assault on a television cameraman. Footage of the incident broadcast by Australia's Channel 9, which had put the cameraman on the same flight from Australia as the Frenchwoman, clearly showed a fist winding up for a punch.

Perec's sponsor Reebok said she had decided to leave Sydney late on Wednesday after a man had forced himself into her hotel room and threatened her. Perec (32) won a said on Friday it took another hammer blow yesterday when traces of banned substances were found in dope tests on two more of its medallists.

Women's 48kg gold medallist Izabela Dragneva and men's 62kg bronze medallist Sevdalin Minchev were both found to have traces of diuretics in their A samples.