Perec makes encouraging return

But Wednesday’s performance showed much more promise as she powered across the line in 22.71 seconds behind winner Debbie Ferguson of The Bahamas, who equalled the season best time of 22.43.

Once as dominant as Michael Johnson over 200 and 400, Perec’s time was her best result since she ran 22.67 in winning her quarter-final heat at the 1997 World Championships in Athens.

Perec, who has not run a 400 metres since the Atlanta Olympics, will now test herself over the longer distance on Saturday in Nice.

“The first 120 metres were very good and the last 40 were very tough,” said Perec.“It makes me wonder what my first 400 will be like.

“But I think for a first race it was very good. It’s always a little disappointing to finish second but I have to believe this was a good race.”

Australia’s Cathy Freeman, who has dominated the 400 metres in Perec’s absence taking World Championship gold in Athens and Seville in 1997 and 1999, showed the Frenchwoman what awaits her in Sydney clocked a season best time of 49.56.

“As an Australian the only important thing this year is the Olynmpics,” said Freeman, silver medallist in the 400m behind Perec in Atlanta. “My season has started well against some strong competition but I’m ready to do better.”

Ato Boldon underlined his gold medal credentials ahead of the Sydney Games, winning both the 100 and 200 metres, clocking the season’s second best time in both events.

Boldon blitzed to victory in the 100 metres in 9.95 seconds and the 200 in 19.97, times that have only been bettered by rival, training partner and world champion Maurice Greene.

Canada’s reigning Olympic champion Donovan Bailey, who has had mixed results since suffering a career-threatening achilles tendon injury almost two years ago, finished a well beaten fifth in the 100 metres in 10.12.

It was a bitterly disappointing result for the Canadian, who was hoping to build on last week’s promising run of 9.98 in Lucerne.

Sergei Bubka’s return to competition did not go nearly as smoothly as Perec’s.

The Ukrainian six-times pole vault world champion crashed out on his opening height, failing three times to clear 5.60 metres — a height the world record holder would normally clear with ease.

Bubka, who missed all of last year’s outdoor campaign after undergoing achilles tendon surgery, showed signs of rust and nerves as he misjudged his run-up several times and stumbled through the pit.

It was an embarassing performance for the 36-year-old Ukrainian, exiting the competition even before the introduction of the meeting’s star attractions had been completed and Maksim Tarasov, the man who ended his string of world championships titles in Seville, had taken his first jump.

Tarasov also had an unmemorable evening as he too failed to make a height, missing three times at 5.80.

Australia’s Dmitri Markov, silver medallist in Seville, won the competition with a vault of 5.85.