France at the 1900 Summer Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids France at the 1900 Summer Olympics
IOC code	FRA
NOC	French National Olympic and Sports Committee
Website
in Paris, France May 14, 1900 – October 28, 1900
Competitors	720 in 19 sports
Medals Ranked 1st	Gold Silver Bronze Total 27 39 37 103
Summer Olympics appearances
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

France hosted the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. As the host country, France had a very large team. Many French athletes had also competed in the first Olympics in Greece in 1896.

It's important to know that in the 1900 Games, gold medals weren't actually given out. Winners received silver medals, and second-place finishers got bronze medals. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided to award gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top three athletes, just like today.

France's Olympic Medals

France did very well at the 1900 Paris Olympics, winning the most medals overall. French athletes earned 27 gold medals, 39 silver medals, and 37 bronze medals. This made France the top-ranked country in the Games!

One interesting fact is about Lloyd Hildebrand, who won a silver medal in cycling. For a long time, his medal was counted for Great Britain. But in 2024, the IOC officially changed it to France, recognizing him as a French medalist.

Archery Success

France was really strong in archery at the 1900 Olympics. French archers won four out of seven gold medals. They also took five silver medals and four bronze medals.

Only two other countries, Belgium and the Netherlands, competed in archery. Many of the archers' names from this time are not fully known. There were 129 French archers, but only 13 are known by their last name.

Athletics Highlights

France was one of nine countries that competed in athletics at both the 1896 and 1900 Olympics. Twenty-two French athletes took part in 18 different events.

France won six medals in athletics. There was some debate about one gold medal won by Michel Théato in the marathon. He was from Luxembourg but lived in Paris. The IOC first gave his medal to France, but now it's officially counted for Luxembourg.

Track and Road Events

French runners competed in various track and road races.

• Henri Deloge won a silver medal in the 1500 meters.
• Henri Tauzin earned a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles.
• Jean Chastanié won a bronze medal in the 2500-meter steeplechase.
• A French team also won a silver medal in the 5000-meter team race.
• Émile Champion won a silver medal in the marathon.

Field Events

French athletes also competed in jumping and throwing events.

• Émile Torchebœuf won a bronze medal in the standing long jump.

Basque Pelota Competition

France had one of the two teams in the Basque pelota tournament. This sport is a bit like squash, played with a ball and a special basket (cesta). The French team was supposed to play against Spain. However, the French team pulled out of the competition. Because of this, the IOC does not officially recognize a silver medal for France in this event.

Cricket Tournament

The French Athletic Club Union represented France in the cricket competition. They played only one match, a two-day game with 12 players on each side. The French team lost by 158 runs. Interestingly, most of the players on the French team were British citizens, though some were born in France.

Croquet: A French Sweep

France was the only country to compete in croquet at the 1900 Olympics. This meant that French players won all seven medals across the three croquet events! Six men and three women from France took part.

• Gaston Aumoitte won gold in singles one-ball.
• Georges Johin won silver in singles one-ball.
• Chrétien Waydelich won bronze in singles one-ball and gold in singles two-balls.
• Maurice Vignerot won silver in singles two-balls.
• Jacques Sautereau won bronze in singles two-balls.
• Gaston Aumoitte and Georges Johin teamed up to win gold in doubles.

Cycling Dominance

French cyclists showed great skill at the 1900 Games, winning six of the nine medals available in cycling. This included two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. Fifty-nine French cyclists competed.

• Albert Taillandier won gold in the men's sprint.
• Fernand Sanz won silver in the men's sprint.
• Louis Bastien won gold in the 25-kilometer race.
• Lloyd Hildebrand won silver in the 25-kilometer race (now counted for France).
• Auguste Daumain won bronze in the 25-kilometer race.
• Louis Trousselier won bronze in the points race.

Equestrian Events

French riders competed in various equestrian events.

• Dominique Gardères won a gold medal in the high jump event with his horse, Canéla.
• Louis de Champsavin won a bronze medal in individual jumping.
• Napoléon Murat won a gold medal in the hacks and hunter combined event.
• Victor Archenoul won a silver medal in hacks and hunter combined.
• Robert de Montesquiou won a bronze medal in hacks and hunter combined.
• Jacques de Prunelé won a bronze medal in the long jump.
• Léon Thome won a silver medal in the four-in-hand mail coach event.
• Jean de Neuflize won a bronze medal in the four-in-hand mail coach event.

Fencing Prowess

France was very strong in fencing at the 1900 Olympics. French fencers won five of the seven gold medals and 15 of the 21 total medals.

• Émile Coste won gold in men's foil.
• Henri Masson won silver in men's foil.
• Marcel Boulenger won bronze in men's foil.
• Lucien Mérignac won gold in men's masters foil.
• Alphonse Kirchhoffer won silver in men's masters foil.
• Jean-Baptiste Mimiague won bronze in men's masters foil.
• Albert Ayat won gold in men's masters épée and gold in men's amateurs-masters épée.
• Gilbert Bougnol won silver in men's masters épée.
• Henri Laurent won bronze in men's masters épée.
• Georges de la Falaise won gold in men's sabre.
• Léon Thiébaut won silver in men's sabre.
• Louis Perrée won silver in men's épée.
• Léon Sée won bronze in men's épée and bronze in men's amateurs-masters épée.

Football Tournament

The Club Française team represented France in the football (soccer) competition. They lost to a British team but then beat a Belgian team. This earned them a silver medal in the three-team tournament.

Gymnastics Medals

France won all three medals in the single gymnastics event, the combined exercises. One hundred and eight of the 135 gymnasts were French.

• Gustave Sandras won the gold medal.
• Noël Bas won the silver medal.
• Lucien Démanet won the bronze medal.

Polo Competition

France was one of four countries to compete in the first Olympic polo event. French players were on two of the five teams. One team, which also included British players, won a bronze medal. Another team with a French player won a silver medal.

Rowing Achievements

Forty-seven French rowers competed in the 1900 Olympics. France won two gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal. A young French boy also served as the coxswain (the person who steers the boat) for the Dutch team that won a coxed pair event.

• Hermann Barrelet won gold in men's single sculls.
• André Gaudin won silver in men's single sculls.
• The Société Nautique de la Marne team won silver in men's coxed pairs.
• The Rowing Club Castillon team won bronze in men's coxed pairs.
• The Cercle de l'Aviron Roubaix team won gold in men's coxed fours.
• The Club Nautique de Lyon team won silver in men's coxed fours.

Rugby Union Gold

The French rugby team, Union des Sociétés Français de Sports Athlétiques, won both of its games to take the gold medal in the first Olympic rugby tournament. This gold medal is officially counted as a "Mixed team" medal because some players were from other countries, like Haiti and the USA, even though they played for the French team.

Sailing Success

France won many medals in the first Olympic sailing events in 1900. They matched Great Britain in gold medals and won 16 other medals (eight silver and eight bronze). Seventy-six French sailors took part.

• Pierre Gervais won gold in the 0 to 0.5 ton race 1.
• Émile Sacré won gold in the 0 to 0.5 ton race 2.
• Louis Auguste-Dormeuil won gold in the 0.5 to 1 ton race 2.
• Henri Gilardoni won gold in the 3 to 10 ton race 1.
• Émile Billard and Paul Perquer won gold in the 10 to 20 ton class.
• A mixed French/British team won two gold medals in the 2 to 3 ton class.
• Many other French sailors won silver and bronze medals across various sailing classes.

Shooting Medals

France performed well in shooting, winning 10 medals. They earned three gold medals, five silver medals, and two bronze medals.

• Maurice Larrouy won gold in the men's 20-meter rapid-fire pistol.
• Léon Moreaux won silver in the men's 20-meter rapid-fire pistol.
• Eugène Balmé won bronze in the men's 20-meter rapid-fire pistol.
• Achille Paroche won silver in the men's 50-meter free pistol and gold in the men's 300-meter free rifle, prone.
• A French team won silver in the men's 50-meter free pistol team event.
• A French team won bronze in the men's 300-meter free rifle team event.
• Roger de Barbarin won gold in men's trap shooting.
• Justinien de Clary won bronze in men's trap shooting.

Swimming Achievements

Forty-seven French swimmers competed in 1900, which was France's first time in Olympic swimming. They won five medals in total, including one gold.

• Charles Devendeville won gold in the men's underwater swimming event, which was only held in 1900.
• André Six won silver in the men's underwater swimming.
• Louis Martin won bronze in the men's 4000-meter freestyle.
• Two French teams won medals in the men's 200-meter team swimming: Tritons Lillois won silver, and Pupilles de Neptune de Lille won bronze.

Tennis Medals

France competed in tennis for the second time, with 14 players. French players reached three of the four finals.

• Hélène Prévost won a silver medal in women's singles.
• Georges de la Chapelle and André Prévost won a bronze medal in men's doubles.
• Max Décugis and his American partner won a silver medal in men's doubles.
• Hélène Prévost and her British partner won a silver medal in mixed doubles.

Tug of War Silver

France sent a team to compete in the tug of war. They lost to a combined team from Denmark and Sweden, earning a silver medal. This medal is also counted as a "Mixed team" medal because one of the French team members, Francisco Henríquez de Zubiría, was from Colombia.

Water Polo Bronze

France had four of the seven teams in the first Olympic water polo tournament. Two French teams won bronze medals. One of these bronze medals is counted as a "Mixed team" medal because a British player was on the Libellule de Paris team.