FRANCE's double Olympic champion Marie-Jose Perec has pulled out of next month's world athletics championships because of her disappointing form this season. After finishing second in a 200 metres race at the Lausanne grand prix last night, Perec said her form was not good enough to defend her women's 400 metres title at the Athens championships.

"I have won Olympic and world titles and I am not going to go to an event where I can't win," said Perec, the Olympic 200 and 400 metres champion.

Maurice Greene, the third-fastest American ever, ran the second-fastest time this year to beat Frank Fredericks and world record holder Donovan Bailey in the 100 metres.

Greene, the American world championship trials winner, surged late in the race to clock 9.90 seconds and snatched victory on the line from Namibia's Fredericks (9.91) with world and Olympic champion Bailey a well- beaten third in 9.97.