Manaudou is done with her native France

TURIN, Italy, May 17 (UPI) -- French swimming star Laure Manaudou said Thursday she will not return to France, opting instead to stay in Italy with her boyfriend, Luca Marin.

She has been dating Marin, a fellow swimmer, since last August, and says her love life has been a big boost to her career.

"Between Italy and France, I have chosen Luca, the love of my life," the Italian news agency ANSA quoted her as saying. "I want to live with him and have a baby. My love for him will give me the necessary peace of mind to train even better."

Marin, 21, won the gold medal in the 400-meter medley at the 2006 Short Course European Championships, and captured a bronze in the same event at the 2007 World Championships.

Manoudou is the first French woman to earn a gold medal in her sport, and also broke the 200-meter record in the 2007 World Championships final.