Laure Manaudou images posted on internet

Nude photos and a video of Olympic and world championship gold medallist Laure Manaudou of France have been posted on the internet.

International swimming circles are in shock at the posting of the nude photos of 21-year-old Frenchwoman Manaudou, which are understood to have been taken in intimate moments during her relationship with 21-year-old Luca Marin.

Marin has denied that he posted the photos as revenge for Manaudou dumping him in one of sport's most spectacular love-gone-wrong splits.

The couple is understood to have broken up at the recent European short-course championships.

At the championships in Hungary, 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.

And in the hours following the row – and when it was also revealed that the Frenchwoman is now linked romantically to champion backstroker Benjamin Stasiulis – nude photos and a video of Manaudou appeared on the web.

Marin said: "I know nothing about the video and have only seen the photos. Yes, it looks like it's really her but it is ridiculous to think that it was me who put them there."

Marin, who lost his 400m European medley title to Hungary's Laszlo Cseh last Friday, also denied accusations from French witnesses that he had verbally abused Manaudou in public.

"They are inventions. I only said that she had done a very rude thing (by throwing the ring away) and that I was happy she was no longer my girlfriend," he said.

The love affair of Manaudou and Marin captivated Melbourne during this year's world championships as photographers stalked them daily frolicking together, kissing and hugging poolside.

It was a sport delight of a romance: she was a 2004 Athens Olympic gold medallist who she set world records to win in Melbourne in her freestyle events and he was also a medallist in Melbourne in his chosen medley field.

In Manaudou's only public comments so far, she said: "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."

Via news.com.au