Fallen star quits Games

The career of Marie-José Pérec, France's defending Olympic 400 metres champion, lay in tatters last night after one of the most dramatic walkouts in the history of the Games.

Pérec, 32, who fled Sydney on Wednesday claiming that she was in fear for her life following a security incident at her hotel, was arrested at Singapore airport last night during a stopover on her London-bound flight.

Police questioned Pérec and her boyfriend, the American athlete Anthuan Maybank, after he became embroiled in a scuffle with an Australian television cameraman. They were later released without charge.

Pérec is due to arrive in London in the early hours of this morning. Her final destination is not clear.

A statement issued by her agent, Annick Avierinos, claimed that she was threatened after a man walked into her room at the Grand Mercure hotel in Sydney.

"He told her he would find her wherever she went and there was no point calling the police because there was little they could do to protect her," it said. "Because of this she has decided to withdraw from the Sydney Games. This is not the first time something like this has happened. She just can't take any more of it."

However, it emerged that the hotel has a number of security cameras, none of which recorded anything suspicious. Sydney police also said that they were not aware of a security scare.

Pérec's decision has robbed the Olympic Games of one of its most eagerly anticipated confrontations: the three times Olympic champion against the Australian idol Cathy Freeman, who lit the Olympic flame. The 400 metres heats are due to begin today.

French Olympic team officials were stunned by Pérec's departure. Her Qantas flight stopped at Melbourne and French officials boarded and spent two hours attempting to persuade her to return.

Chris Wardlaw, Australia's track and field coach, said last night: "I think if she's not here she obviously wasn't in shape, so it wouldn't have been a great race anyway."

Days before her controversial departure, Pérec had written on her personal website that she was "freaking out" as the showdown loomed. She also complained about being hounded by the media. She did not stay in the Olympic village with the rest of the French team and chose to train alone.

French officials denied rumours that Pérec left because she had failed a drugs test - they said she had not even been tested.