After announcing her participation earlier in the week, the French Federation de Natation Amateur stated today that Laure Manaudou has elected to forgo this October's Short Course Worlds.

Manaudou, who won three medals in Athens including a gold in the 400m freestyle, has been the toast of the French sporting community since her return from the Games. As such, the demands on her time have thrown a wrench into her daily routine. In order to establish a sense of normalcy and resume her typical regimen as soon as possible, both the swimmer and her coach Phillipe Lucas have withdrawn their participation in Indy.

France's medal hopes now lie on the broad shoulders of scm 50 freestyle world recordholder Frederick Bousquet.