August 15, 2004. That day, fate changed. At the time, she was only 17 years old when she won her first Olympic title in Athens in the 400m freestyle, thus becoming the second French Olympic swimming champion after Jean Boiteux in Helsinki in 1952. These Olympics were prolific for the new darling of the French since she also won silver in the 800 m freestyle and bronze in the 100 m backstroke. Performances which gave her a whole new status: that star.
These exploits, and those after, are part of the extraordinary story of Laure Manaudou told in the documentary Laura, Laura, Laura! broadcast next Sunday evening on Canal +. In this production by Laurie Delhostal and Guillaume Priou, he is also and above all the subject of the other side of the coin, the other side of the medals. Sports breakdown, over-media coverage, private space violated, and, Laure Manaudou went through difficult times. So many challenges that pushed her to flee the spotlight after ending her career in 2013.
Originally from the Lyon suburbs, Laure Manaudou flees the noise and the world
After living in Marseille for a long time, where she trained, Laure Manaudou moved to the other side of France, in the southwest. Invited Monday January 13, 2025 in Clique, the show presented by on Canal +, for the promotion of Laura, Laura, Laura!the former swimmer spoke about her life in the Arcachon basin, where she lives with her three children: , and the two sons she had with .
Originally from Villeurbanne, in the suburbs of Lyon, where she grew up with her two brothers Nicolas and Florent who also took part in swimming like her, Laure Manaudou is oppressed by big cities and prefers the tranquility of the Arcachon basin. “Everything oppresses me, anything that moves, anything that goes quickly, when there are a lot of people, noise, I don’t like that“, this is everything she hates as she confided to Mouloud Achour. The landmarks of her childhood, the tranquility in which she grew up, Laure Manaudou also wanted them for her children. “I chose to live in the Arcachon basin where there is a lot of greenery, there is the beach, cycle paths, we can do lots of things with the children and great tranquility for me today.“, she added.
Laure Manaudou lived in Marseille with Jérémy Frérot but the singer did not like
Yes, it wasn’t a coincidence. It was at the time when she was in a relationship with the singer Jérémy Frérot that. Their history is now written in the past tense and . Before moving to the southwest, Jérémy Frérot’s native region, Laure Manaudou lived with him in Marseille. A life with which the singer had difficulty. “I met the mother of my children, I went to live in Marseille. from the country that I returned to live here. It’s been four or five years now“, recently confided Jérémy Frérot in an interview with Loopsider. “I couldn’t get used to life in Marseille. There, I had difficulty getting into the morals, the ways of being. In short, I didn’t manage to integrate. But it’s not the fault of the Marseillais, it’s mine!“, he declared.
Although they are no longer a couple, Laure Manaudou and Jérémy Frérot continue to share the same love for the Arcachon basin…
Laura, Laura, Laura!, Sunday January 19, 2025 at 9 p.m. on Canal +.
