France's Manaudou to comment over reported split with coach

Olympic swimming champion Laure Manaudou is expected to make a statement today about her future after a reported split with her coach.

Manaudou, whose boyfriend is Italian swimmer Luca Marin, left the southern French town of Canet where she trains six days ago and has not returned.

French media reported yesterday she had split with coach and mentor Philippe Lucas.

Neither Manaudou nor Lucas was available for comment to the media.

"Laure is in Verona with her fiance but she has not said whether she was at a training camp or on holidays or whether she planned to train in Turin," Canet mayor Arlette Franco said in a statement.

"She is not leaving the Canet club," the statement added.

Manaudou was expected to make a statement today after meeting her lawyer, Franco revealed.

She could decide to train in Italy while remaining a member of her Canet club.

The 20-year-old Olympic 400 metres freestyle champion, Manaudou won two golds, two silvers and a bronze at the world championships in March in Melbourne, Australia.

She was named the outstanding woman swimmer of the championships.