Olympic swimming champion Laure Manaudou of France trained at her new Mulhouse club for the first time on Thursday.

About 40 journalists attended the first session by Manaudou, one of France's best hopes for an Olympic gold medal, at the club where she will prepare for this year's Beijing Games.

At Mulhouse, Manaudou will work with Lionel Horter, the coach who led France's Roxana Maracineanu to the 200 metres backstroke world title in 1998.

Manaudou, who holds the 200 and 400 freestyle world records, moves to Mulhouse from Amberieu-en-Bugey where she trained with her brother Nicolas.

Last May, the Olympic 400 freestyle champion caused a rumpus in France when she joined the LaPresse Nuoto club in Turin, saying she wanted a new challenge and wished to be nearer her then boyfriend, Italian swimmer Luca Marin.

The club fired her three months later, citing attitude problems, and Manaudou later broke up with Marin. Her new boyfriend is French swimmer Benjamin Stasiulis, who trains at Mulhouse.

Reuters