Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Michael Phelps | Olympics' Star Michael Phelps Is A Cool Muthafucka



I had the pleasure of meeting six-time US Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps today at Stanford, California when I was there for The Bank Of The West Classic tennis event, and was impressed that he was such a nice and normal person. So this video is about that and the cool video he made for me -- with my coaching -- at the Bank Of The West Classic.

Hey, Phelps may get all the ladies, but that's cool. Michael Phelps is a cool muthafucka. If you see him in Bejing, tell him that. Make a t-shirt saying that.

More athletes could take a page from his book, and just be cool and nice people.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Laure Manaudou Nude Photos and Video Story - Laure Manaudou Feels "Violated" But Source Of Picts Still Not Known

The unfortunate story of Laure Manaudou and the nude photos, which have been made into several kinds of videos like the one below, continues.



It's captured the attention of Europe as people from hundreds of countries have sought online content on the matter of Laure Manaudou's photos. "The French Mermaid" -- once known to a few in Europe -- is now known to manu around the World.

At first, her now ex-lover Luca Martin claimed that the apperance of the photos was not his doing, and that may be, but Canada.com has an account that would certainly seem to set the scene for that kind of behavior on his part:

Italian swimmer Luca Marin has denied putting explicit pictures of his former lover Laure Manaudou on the Internet following their spat at the European short-course swimming championships in Hungary. France's Manaudou, who took gold in the 100m backstroke and 400 metres freestyle in Debrecen, threw away a ring given to her by Marin before arguing with him in front of other swimmers and the camera in the changing rooms on Sunday.
Nude photos and a video of Manaudou have now appeared on the web.


And dontmiss.fr has this translated account:

More is known today about the big clash, which took place between Laure Manaudou and her ex-boyfriend Luca Marin this weekend in Hungary at the European Championships. This one would not have appreciated how Laure would have returned the engagement ring he had given with much love a few weeks ago ... So, Luca has burst into the call room where Laure Manaudou patientait before disputing his women's 200 meters freestyle, in the morning. "He verbally assaulted. She returned," said Patricia Quint, coach of the French national team women.

In other words, Laure Manaudou embarassed Luca Martin in front of "other swimmers" (read: friends) in the changing rooms last Sunday -- just before the photos surfaced online.

But it appears that Luca Martin may not be the only person with an axe to grind against Laure Manaudou. Look at this bio of Laure I got over at RightFielders Women Sports Celebrities:

Laure Manaudou Biography

As a biography, Laure Manaudou was born on October 9, 1986 in Villeurbanne. She has had a stellar career in swimming, which started in the 400 m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she won the gold medal. She became a hero in her native France, as it was the first time France had ever won a gold medal in women’s swimming. Manaudou also won the silver medal in the women’s 800 m freestyle and a bronze in the women’s 100 m backstroke while at Athens as well.

During the 2005 World Aquatics Championship in Montreal, Canada, Manaudou won the women’s 400 m freestyle.

While at the 2006 European Swimming Championship in Budapest, she would win the 800 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, 100 m backstroke, and the 200 m medley.

During the 2007 World Championship in Melbourne, she took the gold in the 400 m freestyle, silver in 800 m freestyle and 100 m backstroke, and a bronze in the 200 m medley.

She had been coached by Philippe Lucas from 2001 through 2007, and announced in May 2007 that she was leaving him to train with Lapresse Nuoto, a swim club in Turin, Italy. She did state that she would still swim for France.

In August 2007, she was kicked off Lapresse Nuoto and it was rumored that Manaudou and chief executive of LaPresse Nuoto club, Paola Penso, had a falling out. Evidently he did not like Manaudou’s attitude during training.

So it seems Paola Penso may also have a reason to spready nude photos of Laure around, but if true that opens up a new can of worms, like how did he get them?

At this point, it's hard, ir not impossble to find more information on Penso as connected with Laure, but it's not a stretch to think they had a relationship that could have gone toward the romantic. But first is first and he was a coach who considered her "difficult."

Here's what other news outlets are reporting:

Swimming star Laure Manaudou says she feels ‘violated’ by online ...
Times Online, UK - 1 hour ago
France rushed to defend Laure Manaudou, a swimming star and national heroine, yesterday after Italian rivals were blamed for circulating sexually explicit ...
Rocky romance means stormy waters for French swim siren
AFP - 2 hours ago
PARIS (AFP) — With Beijing on the horizon, she could become one of the greatest Olympic swimmers of all time but French siren Laure Manaudou spent the year ...
Laure Manaudou's heartbreak at nude photos betrayal
NEWS.com.au, Australia - 14 hours ago
By Amy Dale THE Beijing Olympic preparations of France's gold medallist Laure Manaudou are in disarray with the swimming beauty an emotional wreck after ...
In roles not always best suited or served
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 20 hours ago
NOW we know what Laure Manaudou's buttocks look like. If you're interested you can see her naked in the shower. Mark it up as another victory for the ...
Manaudou images posted on internet
NEWS.com.au, Australia - Dec 18, 2007
NUDE photos and a video of Olympic and world championship gold medallist Laure Manaudou of France have been posted on the internet. ...
Nude photos posted of swimming glamour girl
The Australian, Australia - Dec 18, 2007
NUDE photos of of international swimming's glamour girl Laure Manaudou and her ex-boyfriend Italian swimmer Luca Marin, is accused of posting them. ...
French swimmer in nude pics
NEWS.com.au, Australia - Dec 18, 2007
Her Italian swimmer former boyfriend Luca Marin is accused of posting video and pictures of Manaudou, who is the Olympic and world 400m world champion. ...
Former lover Marin denies trying to discredit Manaudou
Guardian Unlimited, UK - Dec 18, 2007
MILAN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Italian swimmer Luca Marin has denied putting explicit pictures of his former lover Laure Manaudou on the internet following their ...
Lillhage stuns Manaudou in 200m freestyle final
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Dec 17, 2007
DEBRECEN (Hungary): Sweden’s Josefin Lillhage scored a surprise victory over France’s Laure Manaudou in the 200m freestyle at the European short course ...
Nude photos shatter swim star
Ninemsn, Australia - 10 hours ago
By WWOS staff The Olympic preparations of French gold medallist Laure Manaudou have been upset by the release of explicit photos of the champion swimmer. ...
Sports Ticker
The Province, Canada - 23 hours ago
MOSCOW -- Russia tennis player Anna Chakvetadze escaped unharmed after several men broke into her house in Moscow Tuesday. "Five to six unknown people ...

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Laure Manaudou Nude Photos - More On Unfolding Story





Laure Manadou UPDATE



CLICK TO SEE NEW OLYMPICS VIDEO HERE





My French isn't what it used to be but I'm diving into this anyway. There's more on the matter of Laure Manaudou's nude photos being spread on the Internet. Reportedly there are 20 photos now. But even more, it seems that her ex-lover Luca Marin was not the person who spread the photos. Timedfinals reports...



Clearly not meant for the general public, when news of the pictures came out all eyes immediately turned to her former beau, Italian World Champs medalist Luca Marin, as the source. This was a natural conclusion, particularly since the French and Italian gossip columns were filled with stories of Marin and Manaudou’s verbal altercation at the European Short Course Championships. Apparently the fight was about Manaudou throwing away a ring that Marin had given her.







Marin responded almost immediately to these accusations, however, and told the Gazzetta della Sport, “I have never seen these photos. I saw these images of Laure with great pain on the Italian websites. People are saying that it was me that put them up. This isn’t true…If these absurd insinuations continue I will be forced to act to preserve my reputation.”




For her part, this just turns photogs back to the photogenic Manaudou, who earlier this year expressed her exasperation with the media: "I’ve decided not to talk about my personal life anymore, it doesn’t concern journalists. I would prefer to keep silent about this point."



But with these photos, they'll just keep asking.



And what of this video? What's up with the hotel? Does anyone know enough French to translate? It's time for me to brush up big time!



Laure Manaudou Nude Photos Posted Days After She Took Gold in 400M Freestyle





CLICK TO SEE VIDEO HERE





Laure Manaudou's a 20-year-old World Class swimmer from France who's so famous she's been knighted, and who took the 400 metres freestyle in Europe last weekend. But rather than bask in the sun of a victory Laure Manaudou has to deal with how nude pictures of her surfaced on the Internet.



Personally, I think the photos are from her ex-future husband Luca Martin, who was dumped by Laure Manaudou for Friench swimmer Benjamin Stasiulis. All of the accounts are in Italian, French, and Spanish, not English, so it takes some digging to determine if this is so.



But I think so. Look, Luca's about 20 years old, so it's not like he' used to getting dumped on a regular basis over decades. He's still new to the game. So I think he's scorned and this is his way of striking back.



More on the story here.



Olympics Video Update: