Manaudou sacked by Turin club

PARIS: World and Olympic champion Laure Manaudou has been sacked by the Italian club she joined three months ago.

Marco Durante, president of Turin club LaPresse Nuoto, said she was fired because of her disrespectful behaviour towards coach Paolo Penso and towards her national team.

"I called Laure this morning to tell her my decision," Durante said in a statement.

"If she apologises to Paolo Penso and to the French national team after returning from her holidays, she will be able to re-join the team. But there is only one chance in a million that Laure will understand (what she has done) and turn back."

The Frenchwoman split with coach Philippe Lucas in May and moved her training base to Italy, saying she wanted a new challenge and wished to be nearer her boyfriend, Italian swimmer Luca Marin.

Manaudou is the Olympic 400m freestyle champion. She also won gold in the world championship 200 and 400 freestyle.

Penso questioned her dedication to training in an interview with L'Equipe on Monday.

"If Laure wants to work hard I can help her do great things but if she's not ready to work hard, I'm not the right coach," Penso said.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/08/2007 page24)