
Birth name: Laure Manaudou
Date of birth: October 9, 1986
Birthplace: Villeurbanne, France
Laure Manaudou was born on October 9, 1986. She is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother. Manaudou broke the 200 m freestyle world record at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne in winning the final. She also won the 400 m freestyle event, obtained a silver for the 100 m backstroke and the 800 m freestyle, and a bronze for 4×200 m freestyle relay. She was leading the race in the 800 m final going into the last lap, but the American Kate Ziegler finally overtook her in the last metres to win by a margin of 28 cm. She was thus prevented from becoming the first female swimmer to win the 200 m, 400 m and 800 m freestyle titles at the same World Championships.