Laure Manaudou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Laure Manaudou

Manaudou in 2005
Personal information
Born	(1986-10-09) 9 October 1986 (age 38) Villeurbanne, France
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, backstroke
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  France Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 1 World Championships (LC) 3 2 1 European Championships (LC) 9 1 3 European Championships (SC) 9 2 4 Mediterranean Games 2 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 400 m freestyle Silver 2004 Athens 800 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Athens 100 m backstroke World Championships (LC) Gold 2005 Montreal 400 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 400 m freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 800 m freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 100 m backstroke Bronze 2007 Melbourne 4 × 200 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Gold 2004 Madrid 400 m freestyle Gold 2004 Madrid 100 m backstroke Gold 2004 Madrid 4 × 100 m medley Gold 2006 Budapest 400 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 800 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 100 m backstroke Gold 2006 Budapest 200 m medley Gold 2008 Eindhoven 200 m backstroke Gold 2008 Eindhoven 4 × 200 m freestyle Silver 2008 Eindhoven 100 m backstroke Bronze 2006 Budapest 200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 4 × 200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 4 × 100 m medley European Championships (SC) Gold 2005 Trieste 400 m freestyle Gold 2005 Trieste 800 m freestyle Gold 2005 Trieste 100 m backstroke Gold 2006 Helsinki 400 m freestyle Gold 2006 Helsinki 800 m freestyle Gold 2006 Helsinki 100 m backstroke Gold 2007 Debrecen 400 m freestyle Gold 2007 Debrecen 100 m backstroke Gold 2012 Chartres 50 m backstroke Silver 2007 Debrecen 200 m freestyle Silver 2012 Chartres 100 m backstroke Bronze 2003 Dublin 100 m backstroke Bronze 2007 Debrecen 4 × 50 m medley Bronze 2008 Rijeka 100 m backstroke Bronze 2012 Chartres 4 × 50 m medley Mediterranean Games Gold 2005 Almería 400 m freestyle Gold 2005 Almería 50 m backstroke

Laure Manaudou is a famous French swimmer who won many big competitions, including the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships. She was born on October 9, 1986. Laure was so good that she held world records in freestyle swimming for distances between 200 and 1500 meters. Her younger brother, Florent Manaudou, is also an Olympic gold medalist in swimming!

Laure Manaudou's Swimming Career

Laure Manaudou had an amazing swimming career, winning many medals and setting new records.

Olympic Success in 2004

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Laure won a gold medal in the women's 400-meter freestyle race. This was a huge moment for France, as it was their first-ever gold medal in women's swimming. It was also the first swimming gold for a French athlete since 1952!

Laure also earned a silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle. She started strong, but Ai Shibata from Japan caught up and won. She then won a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke. This made her only the second French woman to win three medals at a single Olympic Games. The first was Micheline Ostermeyer in 1948.

European Championships in 2004

Laure continued her winning streak at the 2004 European Aquatics Championships in Madrid, Spain. She took home three gold medals there. These wins were in the 100-meter backstroke, 400-meter freestyle, and the 4×100-meter medley relay.

World Championships in 2005

In July 2005, at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Canada, Laure won the women's 400-meter freestyle. People started to believe she could break the world record set by Janet Evans way back in 1988. And she did! On May 12, 2006, Laure broke that 18-year-old record with a time of 4:03.03.

Breaking Records at European Championships in 2006

Laure Manaudou broke her own world record in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2006 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest. Her new record time was 4:02.13. She also won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle, 200-meter individual medley, and 100-meter backstroke.

She also won bronze medals in the 200-meter freestyle, 4×200-meter team freestyle, and 4×100-meter team medley. With four gold medals, she matched a record for the most individual titles won at a European swimming championship.

World Championships in 2007

At the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Laure broke the 200-meter freestyle world record. She also won the 400-meter freestyle event. She earned silver medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 800-meter freestyle. She also got a bronze medal for the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In the 100-meter backstroke, she became only the second woman ever to swim the event in under a minute.

2008 Olympics Challenges

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Laure faced some tough races. She finished last in the 400-meter freestyle final. She also placed seventh in the 100-meter backstroke final. In her last chance for a medal, the 200-meter backstroke, she was eliminated in the semifinals.

Retirement and Return to Swimming

On September 17, 2009, Laure Manaudou announced she was retiring from competitive swimming at age 22. She said it was a decision she thought about for a long time.

However, in October 2010, she started training again in the United States. She made her comeback to competitions on July 14, 2011, setting a personal best in the 50-meter freestyle.

2012 Olympics and Family Support

Laure competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in three events: 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke, and the 4 × 100-meter medley relay. She did not advance past the first round in any of these races. However, she was there to cheer on her younger brother, Florent Manaudou, when he won a surprise victory in the men's 50-meter freestyle final. She gave him a big hug after his win!

Personal Life

Laure Manaudou is currently dating singer Jérémy Frérot. They have two sons together. Laure also has a daughter from a previous relationship with Frédérick Bousquet.

Amazing Accomplishments

Between June 2004 and April 2008, Laure Manaudou was unbeatable in the 400-meter freestyle. She won 23 finals in a row!

Images for kids

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  Manaudou in 2005

See also

In Spanish: Laure Manaudou para niños