Marie-José Pérec: Athletics
Marie-José Pérec (born 9 May 1968) is a former French track and field athlete and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She won her first gold medal in International Competition at the 1991 World Championship held in Tokyo, Japan. Pérec was recruited by a visiting French coach in 1984. She placed second in the 200-meter dash at the French Junior championship.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Marie-José Pérec’s Olympic record was the 400-meter event with 48.25 seconds in July 29, 1996 held in Atlanta, Georgia, ranking third all-time.
She won the one gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, two gold medals in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, one gold medal at the 1991 Tokyo Championships, one gold medal at the 1995 Gothenburg Championships, two gold medals for the 1994 Helsinki European Championships and one bronze medal for the 1990 Split European Championships. Pérec was chosen as the L’Equipe Champion of Champions (France Category) in 1992 and 1996 by the French sports daily, L’Equipe. French President Francois Hollande awarded her the Officer de la Legion d’honneur in October 2013. On November 16 the same year, she was inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame.
Why Was She So Good?
Her drive and ambition made her a champion. Her active mind is constantly bustling with thoughts and she finds it hard to loosen up or take to sit back and ponder on things, but Pérec was able to do a great deal in short bursts. She has an intelligent and enthusiastic mind, in which she take pleasure in competitions and academic challenges, very determined and has a strong yearning to accomplish something.
What You May Not Know
- She married Olympic skier Sebastien Foucras in 2010.
- Marie-José’s career went downhill due to injuries and illnesses in 1997. She retired in 2004.
- In 2010, she gave birth to a son and named him Nolan.
Related Pages
- More from athletics
- Athlete Database home
- About the sport of athletics
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