Marie-josé Pérec Facts For Kids

She first raced for France at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. After training hard, she won the 400-metre race at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

At the 1996 Atlanta Games, she did something very special: she won both the 200-metre and 400-metre races. She also set the Olympic record for the 400 metres with a time of 48.25 seconds.

In the years between those Games, she became world champion twice, showing that she was one of the best runners anywhere.

In 1997, a sore thigh muscle stopped her from finishing the World Championships. A year later, she became sick with a long-lasting illness that kept her away from races.

She tried to return in 1999, but the time away had changed things. In June 2004, at the age of thirty-six, she chose to stop racing for good.

Today Marie-José Pérec shares her life with her partner, Sébastien Foucras, a skier. They enjoy quiet days together.

In 2010 they welcomed a son named Nolan. Family time now fills the days that used to be spent on the track.

Marie-José Pérec set some of her best times on the track during her career. Her top speed in the 100 meters was 10.96 seconds in 1991. She ran this race in Dijon, France, on a warm day with just the right amount of wind. Because she practiced so hard, she could move her legs like lightning.

In the 200 meters she reached her best time of 21.99 seconds in 1993. She did this in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. Her strong legs and steady breathing helped her keep a fast pace all the way to the finish line.

Her most amazing record came in the 400 meters. In 1996 she ran it in 48.25 seconds at the Atlanta Olympics. This time was so good that it became the Olympic record. She also ran the 400-meter hurdles in 53.21 seconds in 1995 in Zürich, Switzerland. Each of these best times shows how much she trained and how far she could push herself.