My report on the day: Laure Manaudou, the French Olympic champion, made good a promise to be the woman who replaced the legendary Janet Evans on the world record books over 400 metres freestyle today in Tour with a 4min 03.03sec victory at national championships.

The record, the oldest surviving among Olympic events in world swimming, had stood to the American in 4min 03.85sec since September 22, 1988, the day Evans claimed one of her three golds at the Olympic Games in Seoul.

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The paper contacted a child psychiatrist and sports doctor, to comment on whether Manaudou’s situation was healthy. The expert said:

“She’s been robbed of her childhood. That her parents didn’t react to it (the recent media storm) is worrying. They’ve been living apart from her for a long time now. Their daughter grew up for two years with her coach. Her parents are absent at a time when she has spoken publicly about how she feels. In contrast to the situation of Emilie Le Pennec, the Olympic champion gymnast, Laure’s parents were absent from Athens.”