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France at the Olympics


FieldValue
NOCFRA
NOCnameFrench National Olympic and Sports Committee
gamesOlympics
website
rank4
gold281
silver319
bronze354
app_begin_yearallamanya
summerappearances
winterappearances
seealso1906 Intercalated Games

The modern Olympic Games were founded by French historian Pierre de Coubertin. France has competed in every edition (both Summer and Winter), with the possible exception of the 1904 Games (as sources disagree about whether athlete Albert Corey competed for the United States or France).

Through the Paris 2024 Games, French athletes had won 815 medals at the Summer Olympic Games in a wide variety of sports, achieving particular success in fencing, cycling and judo. France has won an additional 138 medals at the Winter Olympic Games, notably in alpine skiing and biathlon.

Several French athletes have left a significant mark on Olympic history. Biathlete Martin Fourcade holds the national record for Olympic titles with six gold medals, while judoka Teddy Riner follows with five gold medals in the Summer Games. The joint record for the most total Olympic medals by a French athlete is held by fencers Philippe Cattiau and Roger Ducret, each with eight medals earned during the 1920s and 1930s. Fourcade and Riner follow closely with seven medals each, and are trailed by fellow fencing legends Lucien Gaudin, Christian d'Oriola, and Philippe Riboud, who each amassed six medals over their Olympic careers.

Hosted Games

In June 1894, during the first Olympic Congress in Paris, on the initiative of Pierre de Coubertin, it was decided to resume the Olympic Games and to found the IOC. In 1900, Paris hosted the second modern Summer Olympic Games, which took place as part of the World Exhibition. The Olympics were held there in Paris a second time in 1924 and a third time in 2024. This makes Paris, together with London, the current record city host, to which Los Angeles will also be added with its third hosting of the Summer Olympics in 2028. In total, France has hosted the Olympic games on six occasions and is scheduled to host a seventh with the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

GamesHost cityDatesNationsParticipantsEvents
1900 Summer OlympicsParis14 May – 28 October2499795
1924 Winter OlympicsChamonix25 January – 4 February1625816
1924 Summer OlympicsParis5 – 27 July443,089126
1968 Winter OlympicsGrenoble6 – 18 February371,15835
1992 Winter OlympicsAlbertville4 – 23 February641,80157
2024 Summer OlympicsParis26 July – 11 August20610,714329
2030 Winter OlympicsFrench Alps1 – 17 FebruaryTBCTBCTBC

Overview of Olympic participation

France at the Summer Olympics

France at the Winter Olympics

[[Image:Médailles France JO été 1896-2012.svgthumb300pxrightNumber of medals won by France at the Olympic summer games from 1896 to 2012.]][[Image:Médailles France JO hiver 1924-2014.svgthumb300pxrightNumber of medals won by France at the Olympic winter games from 1924 to 2014.]]

Medals by summer sport

Medals by winter sport

Best results in non-medaling sports:

SummerWinter
SportRank
5th
9th
4th
Men's tournament in 1932
6th
4th
4th
4th
5th
SportRank
5th
Men's tournament in 1928
11th
5th
Bruno LoscosMen's 1500 metres in 2002
Stéphanie Bouvier
Min Kyung Choi
Myrtille Gollin
Céline LecompéreWomen's 3000 metre relay in 2006
Jean Charles Mattei
Benjamin Macé
Thibaut Fauconnet
Maxime Chataignier
Jeremy MassonMen's 5000 metre relay in 2010
14th
4th
Alexis ContinMen's 10000 metres in 2010

Summary by sport

Aquatics

Artistic Swimming

France's only artistic swimming medal came in the Women's duet at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

GamesSwimmersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0011
2000 Sydney92/200

Diving

France's only diving medal came in the women's three-metre springboard in 1952.

GamesDiversEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0101
1952 Helsinki44/401

Swimming

France first competed in swimming at the Paris 1900 Games, with 47 swimmers, taking five medals, including one Gold.

GamesSwimmersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal12172251
1900477/712
193255/1101
19481711/1100
19521611/1111
1964168/1801
196816?/2900
19841615/2901
19882529/3100
19922525/3100
20001922/3201
20042123/3212
20083527/3412
20123124/3442
20163024/3402
20202828/3701
20243330/3741

Water Polo

France was a winner of 1924 tournament, and have twice more finished third.

GamesWater polo playersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal1023
1900 Paris111/100
1924 Paris111/110
1928 Amsterdam91/100

Archery

France competed in archery in its first Olympic appearance in Paris 1900. The French team there took 13 of the 20 medals, including gold in 4 of the 7 events.

GamesArchersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRank
1900129745
1904Did not compete
190815311
1912No competition
192081014
1924-1968Did not compete
19725200
19762200
1980Did not compete
19842200
19886400
19926410
19964400
20005400
20046400
20085400
20124400
20163401
20204500
20246501
Total712

Athletics

France first competed in athletics at the inaugural 1896 Games, winning a silver and a bronze. The nation's first gold medal in the sport is a disputed one; Michel Théato was Luxembourgish but living in Paris; his win in the 1900 marathon is credited to France by the International Olympic Committee, which rejected a petition by Luxembourg to change the Olympic record of Théato's nationality.

GamesAthletesEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRankTotal1427297016
189659/12011
19002318/23142
197637100
19802528001
19842141112
19885542001
19925743100
19964944301
20005346000
20046146002
20085257012
20125247111
20165447033
20206148010
20249048010

Basque pelota

In the only appearance of basque pelota as a medal sport at the Olympics in 1900, the French team (one of only two teams to enter) withdrew shortly before the competition started, and the match was not played. The Spanish pair is credited with the gold medal.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0000
1900 Paris21/100

Cricket

France is one of two nations to have competed in the only Olympic cricket competition, in 1900. The French team lost to a British team, taking second place.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0101
1900 Paris121/101

Croquet

France was the only nation to compete in the only Olympic croquet competitions, in 1900.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal3227
1900 Paris103/332

Cycling

France first competed in cycling in 1896, winning four of the six cycling events—all of the events which France contested. France has won more gold medals (41) and total medals (91) in the sport than any other nation.

GamesCyclistsEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRank
1896 Athens24/641
2004221811
2008281823
2012231813
2016211800
2020302200
2024312233
Total4127

Equestrian

France has won the third-most gold medals and fourth-most total medals in equestrian sports. The nation hosted the first equestrian events in Paris 1900, winning gold medals in two of the five events.

GamesRidersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRank
190039522
19124511
192012702
192412500
19289602
19323521
19369601
1948621
1952611
1956600
19607500
1964611
1968611
1972600
1976610
1980Did not compete
198411600
198812611
199212600
1996600
200010600
20049610
20087600
201210600
201612621
20209600
20249601
Total1516

Fencing

France has won the second-most gold medals and second-most total medals in fencing, in each case behind Italy.

YearFencersEventsGoldSilverBronzeTotalRank
18964312032
19002117555151
1904Did not compete
190822721141
1912Did not compete
192018714382
192424733061
192820723051
193211721032
193619702133
194821731041
195221720133
195618711243
19602180000-
196420802354
196820810124
197219801235
197618801236
198016841161
198420822373
198819821032
199220820353
1996151022373
2000161014163
2004191031262
2008171022041
201211100000
2016151011134
2020181222152
2024181214275
Total4547381302

Football

France competed in the first men's Olympic football "tournament", winning one match and losing another to earn a second place finish currently recognized as a silver medal performance. The nation was a frequent competitor from then through 1996, peaking with a gold medal win in 1984. France did not qualify for the men's tournament from 2000 to 2016, but has qualified for the 2020 Games.

France did not qualify for the first four women's tournaments from 1996 to 2008. The French women debuted in 2012, placing 4th, and followed that with a 5th-place finish in 2016.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal1203
1900 Paris131/101
1984 Los Angeles171/110
2024 Paris182/201

Golf

France competed in the first Olympic golf tournaments in 1900, which the nation hosted. The French golfers' best results that year were 4th place for the women and 10th place for the men. France did not compete in the 1904 golf tournaments. When the sport returned to the Olympics in 2016, France had two men and two women compete; the best result was Grégory Bourdy's 21st-place finish.

GamesFencersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0000
1900 Paris72/200
2016 Rio de Janeiro42/200

Gymnastics

France had one gymnast participate in one event in the inaugural 1896 Games. The nation's first medals in the sport came when Paris hosted the Games in 1900; the only event on the schedule was the men's individual all-around, in which France swept the top 18 places (having 108 of the 135 competing gymnasts).

GamesGymnastsEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal310922
1896 Athens11/800
1900 Paris1081/111

Polo

France competed at two of the five editions of Olympic polo tournaments, both occasions when Paris hosted the Games in 1900 and 1924. The nation is formally credited with no medals, though French players competed on a mixed team in 1900 (along with a British player) that took bronze. France had a fully-French team as well in 1900, which took fifth place. Both the all-French and the mixed team went 0–1 (losing to the same team), with the mixed team placed higher due to a bye. The French team in 1924 went 0–4 in the round-robin tournament. Thus, the overall Olympic record of teams with French polo players is 0–6.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal0000
1900 Paris71/100
1924 Paris51/100

Rowing

France hosted the inaugural Olympic rowing contests in Paris 1900. France won 2 of the 5 gold medals, and a French boy served as cox in the final for the otherwise Dutch team that won the coxed pair.

GamesNo. SailorsEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRankingTotal515264915133712
1896 AthensEvent wasn't held
1900 Paris59(21)/5231
1904 St Louis00/5000
1908 London00/5000
1912 Stockholm19(3)/4000
1916Games Cancelled
1920 Antwerp143/5011
1924 Paris267/7030
1928 Amsterdam267/7010
1932 Los Angeles52/7001
1936 Berlin205/7002
1940Games Cancelled
1944Games Cancelled
1948 London226/7000
1952 Helsinki176/7110
1956 Melbourne142/7001
1960 Rome163/7010
1964 Tokyo235/7010
1968 Mexico City165/7000
1972 Munich184/7000
1976 Montreal145/14000
1980166/14000
1984 Los Angeles236/14100
1988125/14000
1992 Barcelona258/14000
1996 Atlanta218/14013
2000 Sydney198/14201
2004 Athens216/14110
2008 Beijing218/14002
2012 London145/14010
2016 Rio187/14101
2020 Tokyo125/14110
2024 Paris42/14000

Rugby

France hosted the inaugural Olympic rugby union contest in 1900, winning the gold medal over Germany and Great Britain. France did not play in 1908, but returned in 1920 (losing the single match to the United States) and 1924 (beating Romania but losing again to the United States).

With the return of rugby, in the form of rugby sevens, in 2016, France competed again. France had both men's and women's teams in 2016; both advanced out of pool play to the quarterfinals but were defeated there.

GamesPlayersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal1203
1900 Paris171/110
1920 Antwerp151/101
1924 Paris301/101
2016 Rio de Janeiro252/200

Sailing

France hosted the first Olympic sailing competitions in 1900, earning 24 total medals in the 13 events, including 5 golds.

GamesNo. SailorsEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalRankingTotal738278 / 205151521514
1900451130/135910
190831/4001
191231/4100
192031/14010
192493/3001
1928133/3100
193232/4100
1936144/4000
1948175/5000
195294/5000
195684/5000
1960115/5000
196432/5000
196894/5000
1972115/6110
1976105/6000
198000/6000
1984116/7001
1988137/8200
19921710/10200
1996138/10000
2000127/11000
20041811/11101
20081811/11012
20121610/10001
20161510/10102
2020149/10021
20241410/10011

Shooting

France competed in shooting at the inaugural 1896 Games, with one shooter in one event, winning no medals. The nation's first medals came when France hosted the Games in 1900, with 3 golds and 10 total medals that year.

GamesShootersEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal9141033
1896 Athens11/500
1900 Paris379/934

Tennis

France first competed in tennis at the inaugural 1896 Games, with one player competing in men's singles and losing in the first round.

GamesAthletesEventsstyle="background-color:gold;"Goldstyle="background-color:silver;"Silverstyle="background-color:#c96;"BronzeTotalTotal56819
1896 Athens11/200
1900 Paris144/401

References

References

  1. (25 April 2018). "St. Louis 1904 Summer Olympics - Athletes, Medals & Results".
  2. "Olympic Games | History, Locations, & Winners".
  3. "Michel THEATO (1878-1919)".
  4. [https://www.olympic.org/paris-1900/basque-pelota/cesta-punta-men 1900 basque pelota results from olympic.org]
  5. "Two-Man Teams With Cesta, Men". Olympedia.
  6. Does not include a bronze medal by a mixed team that included French players.
  7. Does not include a silver medal earned as part of a mixed team in tennis in 1900
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