Laure Manaudou

Laure Manaudou is a retired French Olympic champion swimmer, born October 9, 1986, in Villeurbanne, France, who competed in freestyle and backstroke events. At the 2004 Athens Olympics she won gold in the women's 400 meter freestyle, France's first gold medal ever in women's swimming, and also won silver in the 800 meter freestyle and bronze in the 100 meter backstroke at those Games. She won three World Championship gold medals, in 2005 and 2007, and nine European Championship titles, held world records in multiple freestyle events, and was named World Swimmer of the Year in 2007. Her younger brother, Florent Manaudou, also became an Olympic gold medalist swimmer.