No evidence Perec was harassed, says hotel

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Sydney: a high-security Sydney hotel says it has no evidence to support triple Olympic Champion Marie-Jose Perec's allegation that she was harassed there.

The Frenchwoman has pulled out of the Olympics and left Australia. Her sponsor Reebok said she decided to leave after a man forced his way into her room at the Luxury One Darling Harbour apartments and threatened her on Wednesday afternoon.

''We have no evidence whatsoever of any incident that we can prove via our security analysis,'' said Peter Holt, a spokesman for the hotel's management company Accor.

''We've checked all our records and the police have been down here and we're still at the same point,'' he said. he said film from security cameras showed no evidence of an incident and there was no sign of any forcible entry to Perec's room.

Staff had also been questioned. ''we are very much looking forward to hearing whatever explanation Marie-Jose Perec can give us,'' Holt said.

Perec had been staying on an upper floor of the hotel, where access beyond the reception area is only by electronic swipe card. The cards are needed to enter the elevator and allow access only to the floor of a guest's suite.

Holt said Perec had left the hotel without checking out. Perec, 32, won an unprecedented 200-400 metres double four years ago in Atlanta and the 400 metres title in 1992 in Barcelona. She was expected to be Australian Cathy Freeman's main rival over one lap in Sydney.



(c) Reuters Limited.