France at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids France at the Olympics
IOC code	FRA
NOC	French National Olympic and Sports Committee
Website
Medals Ranked 6th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 280 319 354 953
Summer 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
Winter appearances
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

The Olympic Games we know today were started by a French historian named Pierre de Coubertin. France has been a part of almost every Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter. There's a small question about the 1904 Games. Some people aren't sure if French athlete Albert Corey competed for France or the United States.

French athletes have won many medals at the Olympics. By the time of the Paris 2024 Games, they had earned 815 medals at the Summer Olympic Games. They are especially good at fencing and cycling. France has also won 138 medals at the Winter Olympic Games, with a lot of success in alpine skiing.

The French athlete with the most gold medals at the Winter Games is biathlete Martin Fourcade, who has five. Judoka Teddy Riner holds the record for the Summer Games, also with five gold medals. For the most total medals, fencers Philippe Cattiau and Roger Ducret lead with eight medals each from the 1920s and 1930s. Martin Fourcade and Teddy Riner are close behind with seven medals each.

France as an Olympic Host

In June 1894, a big meeting called the first Olympic Congress happened in Paris. Here, Pierre de Coubertin suggested bringing back the Olympic Games. They also decided to create the IOC.

In 1900, Paris hosted the second modern Summer Olympic Games. These games were part of a big event called the World Exhibition. Paris hosted the Olympics again in 1924 and for a third time in 2024. This makes Paris, along with London, a city that has hosted the Summer Olympics the most times. Los Angeles will also join this group in 2028.

France has hosted the Olympic Games six times in total. They are also set to host a seventh time with the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

France's Olympic Journey

Summer Olympics Medals       Host country Games Athletes competed 1 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze Total Rank 1896 Athens 13 5 4 2 11 4 1900 Paris 491 27 38 37 102 1 1904 St. Louis 1 0 1 0 1 13 1908 London 363 5 5 9 19 4 1912 Stockholm 119 7 4 3 14 6 1920 Antwerp 304 9 19 13 41 4 1924 Paris 401 13 15 10 38 3 1928 Amsterdam 255 6 10 5 21 5 1932 Los Angeles 103 10 5 4 19 6 1936 Berlin 201 7 6 6 19 5 1948 London 316 10 6 13 29 3 1952 Helsinki 245 6 6 6 18 8 1956 Melbourne 137 4 4 6 14 11 1960 Rome 238 0 2 3 5 25 1964 Tokyo 138 1 8 6 15 10 1968 Mexico City 200 7 3 5 15 10 1972 Munich 227 2 4 7 13 14 1976 Montreal 206 2 3 4 9 14 1980 Moscow 121 6 5 3 14 10 1984 Los Angeles 238 5 7 16 28 9 1988 Seoul 266 6 4 6 16 11 1992 Barcelona 350 8 5 16 29 8 1996 Atlanta 299 15 7 15 37 5 2000 Sydney 336 13 14 11 38 6 2004 Athens 308 11 9 13 33 7 2008 Beijing 323 7 16 20 43 10 2012 London 330 11 11 13 35 7 2016 Rio de Janeiro 401 10 18 14 42 7 2020 Tokyo 385 10 12 11 33 8 2024 Paris 573 16 26 22 64 5 2028 Los Angeles future event Total 239 277 299 815 5

Winter Olympics Medals       Host country Games Athletes competed 1 Gold 2 Silver 3 Bronze Total Rank 1924 Chamonix 43 0 0 3 3 5 1928 St. Moritz 38 1 0 0 1 6 1932 Lake Placid 8 1 0 0 1 8 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 28 0 0 1 1 9 1948 St. Moritz 36 2 1 2 5 7 1952 Oslo 26 0 0 1 1 11 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo 32 0 0 0 0 – 1960 Squaw Valley 26 1 0 2 3 9 1964 Innsbruck 24 3 4 0 7 6 1968 Grenoble 75 4 3 2 9 3 1972 Sapporo 40 0 1 2 3 12 1976 Innsbruck 35 0 0 1 1 14 1980 Lake Placid 22 0 0 1 1 14 1984 Sarajevo 32 0 1 2 3 11 1988 Calgary 68 1 0 1 2 15 1992 Albertville 109 3 5 1 9 7 1994 Lillehammer 98 0 1 4 5 11 1998 Nagano 106 2 1 5 8 11 2002 Salt Lake City 114 4 5 2 11 8 2006 Turin 82 3 2 4 9 12 2010 Vancouver 108 2 3 6 11 12 2014 Sochi 116 4 4 7 15 10 2018 Pyeongchang 107 5 4 6 15 9 2022 Beijing 86 5 7 2 14 10 2026 Milan/Cortina future event future event future event Total 41 42 55 138 13

Number of medals won by France at the Olympic summer games from 1896 to 2012. Number of medals won by France at the Olympic winter games from 1924 to 2014.

Best Results in Other Sports

French Success in Olympic Sports

Aquatics

Artistic Swimming Medals

France has won one artistic swimming medal. This happened in the Women's duet event at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Diving Medals

France has only one diving medal. It was won in the women's three-meter springboard event in 1952.

Swimming Medals

France first took part in swimming at the Paris 1900 Games. With 47 swimmers, they won five medals, including one gold.

Water Polo Medals

France won the 1924 water polo tournament. They have also finished third two other times.

Archery Medals

France competed in archery at its first Olympic Games in Paris 1900. The French team won 13 of the 20 medals. This included gold medals in 4 of the 7 events.

Athletics Medals

France first competed in athletics at the very first Games in 1896. They won a silver and a bronze medal. France's first gold medal in athletics is a bit debated. Michel Théato won the 1900 marathon. He was from Luxembourg but lived in Paris. The International Olympic Committee gives France credit for his win.

Cycling Medals

France first competed in cycling in 1896. They won four of the six cycling events that year. France has won more gold medals (41) and total medals (91) in cycling than any other country.

Equestrian Medals

France has won the third-most gold medals in equestrian sports. They also have the fourth-most total medals. France hosted the first equestrian events in Paris in 1900. They won gold medals in two of the five events.

Fencing Medals

France has won the second-most gold medals in fencing. They also have the second-most total medals in this sport. Only Italy has won more.

Football Medals

France competed in the first men's Olympic football "tournament" in 1900. They won one match and lost another, earning a silver medal. France often competed in football until 1996. Their best result was a gold medal win in 1984. France's men's team did not qualify for the Olympics from 2000 to 2016. However, they qualified for the 2020 Games.

The French women's team did not qualify for the first four tournaments from 1996 to 2008. They played for the first time in 2012, finishing 4th. In 2016, they finished 5th.

Gymnastics Medals

France had one gymnast in one event at the first Games in 1896. The nation's first medals in gymnastics came when Paris hosted the Games in 1900. The only event was the men's individual all-around. France won the top 18 places, with 108 of the 135 gymnasts being French.

Rowing Medals

France hosted the first Olympic rowing competitions in Paris in 1900. France won 2 of the 5 gold medals. A French boy also served as a cox (the person who steers the boat) for the Dutch team that won the coxed pair event.

Rugby Medals

France hosted the first Olympic rugby union competition in 1900. They won the gold medal, beating Germany and Great Britain. France did not play in 1908. They returned in 1920, losing to the United States. In 1924, they beat Romania but lost to the United States again.

When rugby returned as rugby sevens in 2016, France competed again. Both the men's and women's teams made it to the quarterfinals but were defeated.

Sailing Medals

France hosted the first Olympic sailing competitions in 1900. They earned 24 medals in 13 events, including 5 gold medals.

Shooting Medals

France competed in shooting at the first Games in 1896. One shooter took part in one event, but won no medals. The nation's first medals came when France hosted the Games in 1900. They won 3 gold medals and 10 total medals that year.

Tennis Medals

France first competed in tennis at the first Games in 1896. One player competed in men's singles but lost in the first round.

Images for kids

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  Number of medals won by France at the Olympic summer games from 1896 to 2012.

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  Number of medals won by France at the Olympic winter games from 1924 to 2014.

See Also

In Spanish: Francia en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of flag bearers for France at the Olympics
• Category:Olympic competitors for France
• France at the Paralympics
• List of Olympic female gymnasts for France