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, followed by judoka Teddy Riner and fellow biathlete Quentin Fillon Maillet, each with five gold medals. The record for the most total Olympic medals by a French athlete is held by Fillon Maillet, who won nine medals overall between 2022 and 2026. Fillon Maillet is followed 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.

Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events 1900 Summer Olympics Paris 14 May – 28 October 24 997 951924 Winter Olympics Chamonix 25 January – 4 February 16 258 161924 Summer Olympics Paris 5 – 27 July 44 3,089 1261968 Winter Olympics Grenoble 6 – 18 February 37 1,158 351992 Winter Olympics Albertville 8 – 23 February 64 1,801 572024 Summer Olympics Paris 26 July – 11 August 206 10,714 3292030 Winter OlympicsFrench Alps1 – 17 FebruaryTBCTBCTBC

Overview of Olympic participation

Medals by Summer Games

Notes Art competitions (1912–1948) are not included in the medal table above, as they were non-sports events formerly part of the Olympic Games. France won a total of 13 art competition medals (4 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze), across the 1912, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1948 Summer Olympics. Athletes at the early Olympic Games (1896–1904) are attributed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) according to the national affiliation of their club or team, rather than their nationality. 1900 Olympic Games:Luxembourgish Michel Théato  (athletics; one gold), British Lloyd Hildebrand  (cycling; one silver), and American Abbie Pratt  (golf; one bronze) represented French clubs, and their results were attributed to France. 1904 Olympic Games:Conversely, Frenchman Albert Corey competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics for an American club, winning the silver medal in marathon. As a representative of an American club, his participation and medals were attributed to the United States. At the 1900 Summer Olympics seven team event medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze) won by French clubs competing as mixed teams—composed primarily of French athletes alongside a few non-French participants—were attributed to France: one gold in rugby, two golds in sailing, one silver each in cricket and tug of war, and one bronze each in polo, and water polo.

Medals by Winter Games

Medals by summer sport

Medals by winter sport

*Military patrol is considered to be the precursor to biathlon, however the official website of the Olympic Movement designates military patrol as a separate discipline. The Official Report of the 1924 Games regards it as an event within the sport of skiing.Official Report (1924), p 646: Le Programme ... II. — Epreuves par équipes - 12. Ski : Course militaire (20 à 30 kilomètres, avec tir). (The Programme ... II. — Team events - 12. Skiing : Military Race (20 to 30 kilometres, with shooting)).Official Report (1924), p 664: CONCOURS DE SKI - Jurys - COURSE MILITAIRE. (Skiing Competitions - Juries - Military Race)

Best results in non-medaling sports: Summer Sport Rank Athlete Event & Year 5th Hongyan Pi Women's singles in 2008 9th Cécile Rigaux Women's tournament in 2000 4th France men's team Men's tournament in 1920 Men's tournament in 1932 6th Aïnhoa Dot-EspinosaManelle InahoCélia Joseph-NoëlJustine LavitLozéa Vilarino Women's group in 2024 4th David Martin Men's individual in 2000 4th Vincent Milou Men's street in 2020 5th Mickaël Mawem Men's combined in 2020 Winter Sport Rank Athlete Event & Year 5th France men's team Men's tournament in 1924 Men's tournament in 1928 11th Georges Tresallet &Ion Pervilhac Men's doubles in 1968 5th Marc BellaArnaud DrouetRémi IngresClaude Nicouleau Men's 5000 metre relay in 1992 Bruno Loscos Men's 1500 metres in 2002 Stéphanie BouvierMin Kyung ChoiMyrtille GollinCéline Lecompére Women's 3000 metre relay in 2006 Jean Charles MatteiBenjamin MacéThibaut FauconnetMaxime ChataignierJeremy Masson Men's 5000 metre relay in 2010 14th Philippe Cavoret Men's individual in 2006 4th Hans van Helden Men's 1500 metres in 1984 Alexis Contin Men's 10000 metres in 2010 Timothy Loubineaud Men's 10,000 metres in 2026

Summary by summer sport

Aquatics

Artistic Swimming France's only artistic swimming medal came in the Women's duet at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Games Swimmers Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 2000 Sydney 9 2/2 0 0 1 1 Total 0 0 1 1

Diving France's only diving medal came in the women's three-metre springboard in 1952. Games Divers Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1952 Helsinki 4 4/4 0 1 0 1 Total 0 1 0 1 Swimming

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

Games Swimmers Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 47 7/7 1 2 2 5 1932 5 5/11 0 1 0 1 1948 17 11/11 0 0 2 2 1952 16 11/11 1 1 1 3 1964 16 8/18 0 1 0 1 1968 16 ?/29 0 0 1 1 1984 16 15/29 0 1 1 2 1988 25 29/31 0 0 2 2 1992 25 25/31 0 0 3 3 2000 19 22/32 0 1 0 1 2004 21 23/32 1 2 3 6 2008 35 27/34 1 2 3 6 2012 31 24/34 4 2 1 7 2016 30 24/34 0 2 1 3 2020 28 28/37 0 1 0 1 2024 33 30/37 4 1 2 7 Total 12 17 22 51

Water Polo France was a winner of 1924 tournament, and have twice more finished third. Games Water polo players Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 11 1/1 0 0 2 2 1924 Paris 11 1/1 1 0 0 1 1928 Amsterdam 9 1/1 0 0 1 1 Total 1 0 3 4 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.

Games Archers Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1900 129 7 4 5 4 13 1 1904 Did not compete 1908 15 3 1 1 1 3 2 1912 No competition 1920 8 10 1 4 1 6 2 1924-1968 Did not compete 1972 5 2 0 0 0 0 - 1976 2 2 0 0 0 0 - 1980 Did not compete 1984 2 2 0 0 0 0 - 1988 6 4 0 0 0 0 - 1992 6 4 1 0 0 1 2 1996 4 4 0 0 0 0 - 2000 5 4 0 0 0 0 - 2004 6 4 0 0 0 0 - 2008 5 4 0 0 1 1 5 2012 4 4 0 0 0 0 - 2016 3 4 0 1 0 1 3 2020 4 5 0 0 0 0 - 2024 6 5 0 1 1 2 2 Total 7 12 8 27 4

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.

Games Athletes Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1896 5 9/12 0 1 1 2 1900 23 18/23 1 4 2 7 1976 37 1 0 0 1 11 1980 25 28 0 0 1 1 16 1984 21 41 1 1 2 4 9 1988 55 42 0 0 1 1 18 1992 57 43 1 0 0 1 13 1996 49 44 3 0 1 4 4 2000 53 46 0 0 0 0 - 2004 61 46 0 0 2 2 33 2008 52 57 0 1 2 3 27 2012 52 47 1 1 1 3 12 2016 54 47 0 3 3 6 21 2020 61 48 0 1 0 1 31 2024 90 48 0 1 0 1 31 Total 14 27 29 70 16

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.1900 basque pelota results from olympic.org

Games Players Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 2 1/1 0 0 0 0 Total 0 0 0 0

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.

Games Players Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 12 1/1 0 1 0 1 Total 0 1 0 1

Croquet

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

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.

Games Cyclists Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1896 Athens 2 4/6 4 1 1 6 2004 22 18 1 1 1 3 6 2008 28 18 2 3 1 6 2 2012 23 18 1 3 0 4 3 2016 21 18 0 0 1 1 18 2020 30 22 0 0 2 2 21 2024 31 22 3 3 3 9 1 Total 41 27 23 91

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. Games Riders Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1900 39 5 2 2 4 8 2 1912 4 5 1 1 1 3 21920 12 7 0 2 0 2 4 1924 12 5 0 0 1 1 6 1928 9 6 0 2 0 2 5 1932 3 5 2 1 0 3 1 1936 9 6 0 1 0 1 2 1948 6 2 1 1 4 1 1952 6 1 1 1 3 2 1956 6 0 0 0 0 - 1960 7 5 0 0 1 1 71964 6 1 1 0 2 3 1968 6 1 1 0 2 4 1972 6 0 0 0 0 - 1976 6 1 0 0 1 4 1980 Did not compete 1984 11 6 0 0 0 0 - 1988 12 6 1 1 1 3 2 1992 12 6 0 0 1 1 7 1996 6 0 0 1 1 7 2000 10 6 0 0 0 0 - 2004 9 6 1 0 0 1 4 2008 7 6 0 0 0 0 - 2012 10 6 0 0 0 0 - 2016 12 6 2 1 0 3 2 2020 9 6 0 0 1 1 6 2024 9 6 0 1 1 2 3 Total 15 16 14 45 3

Fencing

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

Year Fencers Events Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank 1896 4 3 1 2 0 3 2 1900 211 7 5 5 5 15 1 1904 Did not compete 1908 22 7 2 1 1 4 1 1912 Did not compete 1920 18 7 1 4 3 8 2 1924 24 7 3 3 0 6 1 1928 20 7 2 3 0 5 1 1932 11 7 2 1 0 3 2 1936 19 7 0 2 1 3 3 1948 21 7 3 1 0 4 1 1952 21 7 2 0 1 3 3 1956 18 7 1 1 2 4 3 1960 21 8 0 0 0 0 - 1964 20 8 0 2 3 5 4 1968 20 8 1 0 1 2 4 1972 19 8 0 1 2 3 5 1976 18 8 0 1 2 3 6 1980 16 8 4 1 1 6 1 1984 20 8 2 2 3 7 3 1988 19 8 2 1 0 3 2 1992 20 8 2 0 3 5 3 1996 15 10 2 2 3 7 3 2000 16 10 1 4 1 6 3 2004 19 10 3 1 2 6 2 2008 17 10 2 2 0 4 1 2012 11 10 0 0 0 0 – 2016 15 10 1 1 1 3 4 2020 18 12 2 2 1 5 2 2024 18 12 1 4 2 7 5 Total 45 47 38 130 2

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.

Games Players Events Gold Silver Bronze Total 1900 Paris 13 1/1 0 1 0 1 1984 Los Angeles 17 1/1 1 0 0 1 2024 Paris 18 2/2 0 1 0 1 Total 1 2 0 3