Former Olympic champion Laure Manaudou completed her amazing comeback by qualifying for London.
French swimmer completes her return to the pool with Olympic place
Former Olympic champion Laure Manaudou has completed her amazing comeback to the sport by qualifying for the London Games.
Manaudou won the 2004 400m freestyle gold, but quit swimming in 2009 after becoming pregnant.
The 25-year-old relaunched her career last year in an attempt to qualify for London, and she achieved her goal by winning the 100m backstroke final at the French championships.
She clocked 1:00.18, well below the required 1:00.82 Olympic A time, almost four years after failing to shine at the Beijing Olympics.
The top two in each final at the French championships qualify for the London Games providing they swim under the Olympic A time.
"I would like to thank my family, my friends, and all those who have always believed in me," she told
Eurosport.
"It was not an easy challenge, but the French crowd helped me a lot. In 2004 (in Athens), it was easy, I was 17, I was crazy."
France showed they would be a force to be reckoned with in London when world season's bests were set in the 200 freestyle.
Yannick Agnel set a French record and world season's best of 1:44.42 to book his place in London along with second-placed Amaury Leveaux who finished 0.30 off the pace.
The day after swimming the season's fastest 400 metres freestyle, Camille Muffat again impressed by winning her 200 freestyle semi-final in a French record time of 1:55.40.
World champion Jeremy Stravius, however, failed to qualify when he finished third in the 100 metres backstroke final behind co-world champion Camille Lacourt and Benjamin Stasiulis.
