France at the Olympics | |
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IOC code | FRA |
NOC | French National Olympic and Sports Committee |
Website | www |
Medals Ranked 5th |
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Summer appearances | |
Winter appearances | |
Other related appearances | |
1906 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 [1] [2] ).
French athletes have won 751 medals at the Summer Olympic Games in a wide variety of sports, achieving particular success in fencing and cycling. France has won an additional 138 medals at the Winter Olympic Games, mostly in alpine skiing.
France has hosted the Olympic games on five occasions and is planning to host the sixth: the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Games | Host city | Dates | Nations | Participants | Events |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Summer Olympics | Paris | 14 May – 28 October | 24 | 997 | 95 |
1924 Winter Olympics | Chamonix | 25 January – 4 February | 16 | 258 | 16 |
1924 Summer Olympics | Paris | 5 – 27 July | 44 | 3,089 | 126 |
1968 Winter Olympics | Grenoble | 6 – 18 February | 37 | 1,158 | 35 |
1992 Winter Olympics | Albertville | 4 – 23 February | 64 | 1,801 | 57 |
2024 Summer Olympics | Paris | 26 July – 11 August | TBA | 10 500 | 329 |
Medals by summer sport Leading in that sport
| Medals by winter sport
|
France first competed in swimming at the Paris 1900 Games, with 47 swimmers taking one gold medal (and five total medals).
Games | Swimmers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 47 | 7/7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Total | 8 | 15 | 20 | 43 |
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.
Games | Archers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 129 | 7/7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
Total | 6 | 11 | 7 | 24 |
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. [3]
Games | Athletes | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 5 | 9/12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
1900 Paris | 23 | 18/23 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
Total | 14 | 27 | 29 | 70 |
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. [4] [5]
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 12 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
France was the only nation to compete in the only Olympic croquet competitions, in 1900.
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 10 | 3/3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Total | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
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.
Games | Cyclists | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 2 | 4/6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Total | 41 | 27 | 23 | 91 |
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.
Games | Riders | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 39 | 5/5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Total | 14 | 13 | 10 | 37 |
France has won the second-most gold medals and second-most total medals in fencing, in each case behind Italy.
Games | Fencers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 4 | 2/3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
1900 Paris | 211 | 7/7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
Total | 42 | 41 | 35 | 118 |
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.
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 13 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
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.
Games | Fencers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 7 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 Rio de Janeiro | 4 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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).
Games | Gymnasts | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 1 | 1/8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1900 Paris | 108 | 1/1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 3 | 10 | 9 | 22 |
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.
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 7 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 [6] |
1924 Paris | 5 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 [6] |
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.
Games | Rowers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 47 | 4/4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 [7] |
Total | 8 | 15 | 14 | 37 |
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.
Games | Players | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 Paris | 17 | 1/1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1920 Antwerp | 15 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1924 Paris | 30 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2016 Rio de Janeiro | 25 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
France hosted the first Olympic sailing competitions in 1900, earning 24 total medals in the 13 events, including 5 golds.
Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 | 451 | 130/13 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 1 |
1908 | 3 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
1912 | 3 | 1/4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
1920 | 3 | 1/14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
1924 | 9 | 3/3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
1928 | 13 | 3/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
1932 | 3 | 2/4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
1936 | 14 | 4/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1948 | 17 | 5/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1952 | 9 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1956 | 8 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1960 | 11 | 5/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1964 | 3 | 2/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1968 | 9 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1972 | 11 | 5/6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
1976 | 10 | 5/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1980 | 0 | 0/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1984 | 11 | 6/7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
1988 | 13 | 7/8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
1992 | 17 | 10/10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
1996 | 13 | 8/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2000 | 12 | 7/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2004 | 18 | 11/11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
2008 | 18 | 11/11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
2012 | 16 | 10/10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
2016 | 15 | 10/10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
2020 | 14 | 9/10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
Total | 15 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 4 |
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.
Games | Shooters | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 1 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1900 Paris | 37 | 9/9 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
Total | 9 | 14 | 10 | 33 |
France first competed in tennis at the inaugural 1896 Games, with one player competing in men's singles and losing in the first round.
Games | Athletes | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens | 1 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1900 Paris | 14 | 4/4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 [8] |
Total | 5 | 6 | 8 | 19 |
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closing ceremonies were held.
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, twenty-three athletics events were contested. Altogether, 117 athletes from 15 nations competed. A total of 68 medals were awarded. In many countries, due in part to the conflation of the Olympic Games and the World's Fair in Paris, the media discussed only the athletics events under the "Olympic" name while ignoring the incredible variety of other sports featured at the time.
Australia has sent athletes to all editions of the modern Olympic Games. Australia has competed in every Summer Olympic Games, as well as every Winter Olympics except 1924–32 and 1948. In 1908 and 1912 Australia competed with New Zealand under the name Australasia.
France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of many nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece and had returned to compete at the 1900 Games.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the second appearance of Britain after having participated in the inaugural 1896 Games. In Olympic competition, the nation has always shortened its official name to Great Britain rather than the United Kingdom seen elsewhere.
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Summer Olympic Games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott aganist the Soviet Union, who hosted the event due to the Soviet–Afghan War. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee for the United States.
Sweden first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then with one exception, the sparsely attended 1904 Summer Olympics. Sweden has earned medals at all Olympic games except for two, the 1896 Games and the 1904 Games. The only other nation having earned medals at every Olympic game since 1908 is Sweden's neighboring country Finland.
Hungary first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games and every Winter Olympic Games since then. The nation was not invited to the 1920 Games for its role in World War I, and was part of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Athletes from the United Kingdom, all but three of its Overseas Territories, and the three Crown Dependencies, can compete in the Olympic Games as part of Team GB. Athletes from Northern Ireland can elect to represent either the UK or 'Team Ireland'. It has sent athletes to every Summer and Winter Games, since the start of the Olympics' modern era in 1896, including the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were boycotted by a number of other Western nations. From 1896 to 2020 inclusive, Great Britain & Northern Ireland has won 918 medals at the Summer Olympic Games, and another 32 at the Winter Olympic Games. It is the only national team to have won at least one gold medal at every Summer Games, lying third globally in the winning of total medals, surpassed only by the United States and the former Soviet Union.
Italy has sent athletes to most of the modern Olympic Games held since 1896, outside of not having "officially" participated in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Greece has a long presence at the Olympic Games, as they have competed at every Summer Olympic Games, one of only five countries to have done so, and most of the Winter Olympic Games. Greece has hosted the Games twice, both in Athens. As the home of the Ancient Olympic Games it was a natural choice as host nation for the revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, while Greece has also hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. During the parade of nations at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Greece always enters the stadium first and leads the parade to honor its status as the birthplace of the Olympics, with the notable exception of 2004 when Greece entered last as the host nation. Before the Games the Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia, the site of the Ancient Olympic Games, in a ceremony that reflects ancient Greek rituals and initiates the Olympic torch relay. The flag of Greece is always hoisted in the closing ceremony, along with the flags of the current and the next host country.
Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared in 27 of the 30 Summer Olympic Games, having competed in all Games except those of 1920, 1924 and 1948, when they were not permitted to do so. Germany has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice; the 1936 Games in Berlin, and the 1972 Games in Munich.
Denmark first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the sparsely attended 1904 Games. Denmark has also participated in the Winter Olympic Games several times since 1948, including every Games since 1988.
Austria has competed at all of the modern Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1920 Summer Olympics, from which it was barred for being part of the Central Powers in World War I.
Canada has competed at 23 Summer Olympic Games, missing only the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics and the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. The nation made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Canada competes under the IOC country code CAN.
France competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 255 competitors, 219 men and 36 women, took part in 112 events in 17 sports. At the beginning of the games there was an incident where a French coach was physically assaulted by a Stadium gatekeeper who refused him entry. It boiled over to a point where the entire French team did not participate in the Parade of Nations, and conversations were made to pull out of the games completely. However, the issue was resolved and France went on to compete.
France was the host nation for the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was the second time that France had hosted the Games, after the 1900 Summer Olympics, also in Paris. 401 competitors, 373 men and 28 women, took part in 128 events in 20 sports.
Sweden competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. 159 competitors, 146 men and 13 women, took part in 84 events in 15 sports.
Hungary competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, returning to the Olympic Games after not being invited to the 1920 Games because of the nation's role in World War I. 89 competitors, 86 men and 3 women, took part in 54 events in 12 sports.
Belgium competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. 172 competitors, 166 men and 6 women, took part in 82 events in 17 sports.