Ex-Olympic champion Laure Manaudou announced Friday in an interview with Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France that she is going to stop swimming competitively.
At 17, Laure won the 400-meter freestyle in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Her victory gave France its first swimming gold in 52 years. In addition she holds: a silver medal in the 800-meter and a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke. She was also world champion in the 400-meter free swim in 2005.
In the interview, Manaudou reveals the day-to-day pressures and difficulties she has faced. She has slowly come to the decision since her break with her trainer Philippe Lucas in 2007.
"I quit. This hasn't been an easy decision to make," the 22-year-old Frenchwoman stated. "It came to me little by little. I didn't make it on impulse. It has matured slowly."
-david
