France, the previous host of the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tj4uAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K9gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3791%2C2736987
Medalists
MedalNameSportEventDate Athletics Men's marathon Cycling Men's sprint Fencing Men's épée Men's foil , Carl de la Sablière,André Derrien, Virginie Hériot,André Lesauvage, Jean Lesieur Sailing 8 m class Weightlifting Men's 75 kg Athletics Men's 1500 m Boxing Men's flyweight Equestrian Individual dressage Equestrian Individual jumping Fencing Men's épée , René Barbier,Georges Buchard, Émile Cornic,Bernard Schmetz Fencing Men's team épée , Roger Ducret,André Gaboriaud, Lucien Gaudin,Raymond Flacher, André Labatut Fencing Men's team foil , Edouard Marcelle,Henri Préaux Rowing Men's coxed pair Weightlifting Men's 82.5 kg Wrestling Men's freestyle lightweight Athletics Men's high jump Water polo Weightlifting Men's 67.5 kg Wrestling Men's freestyle light heavyweight Wrestling Men's freestyle heavyweight
Aquatics
Diving
Four divers, 3 men and 1 woman, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's third appearance in the sport. None of the French divers placed in the top 3 in their preliminary round groups to advance to the final; 3 out of the 5 opportunities, they came in 4th to just miss qualification.
DiverEventSemifinalsFinalPointsScoreRankPointsScoreRank Men's 3 metre springboard 37 101.44 7 did not advance 21 132.52 4 did not advance Men's 10 metre platform 25 67.96 5 did not advance 24 74.12 4 did not advance Women's 10 metre platform 17.5 27.60 4 did not advance
Swimming
13 swimmers, 7 women and 6 men, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's 6th appearance in the sport (having not competed in swimming in 1896 or 1904). The women's relay was the only swimmer or team to advance to an event final, placing 5th in a repeat of their 1924 performance. Pélégry had been a member of the 1924 relay as well. Stoffel, Klein, and Zeibig were other swimmers who had competed in 1924.
SwimmerEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRank Men's 100 m freestyle 1:05.8 3 did not advance Women's 100 m freestyle Unknown 5 did not advance Unknown 6 did not advance Unknown 5 did not advance Men's 400 m freestyle 5:20.0 3 q Unknown 6 did not advance Women's 400 m freestyle Unknown 4 did not advance Unknown 6 did not advance Men's 1500 m freestyle Unknown 5 did not advance Men's 100 m backstroke 1:20.0 3 did not advance Men's 200 m breaststroke Unknown 4 did not advance 3:05.0 3 did not advance Women's 200 m breaststroke Unknown 4 did not advance (F) Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relayrowspan=5 colspan=2 5:42.4 3 Q 5:32.0 5 (SF, F) (SF, F) (SF, F) (SF) Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relayrowspan=4 colspan=2 10:31.4 3 did not advance
Water polo
France, the defending gold medalist, competed in the men's water polo tournament for the fifth time. The French squad won its first two matches before being defeated by Hungary in the semifinals. Due to misunderstanding of the Bergvall system under which the tournament was meant to be played, France then faced Great Britain, the United States, and Argentina (winning all three games). The match against Great Britain is treated as the bronze medal match here.
Summary
TeamEventRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankFrance men'sMen's tournamentW 4–0W 16–0L 3–5W 8–1
Men's tournament
Team roster
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Bronze medal match
Athletics
50 athletes, 41 men and 9 women, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's 7th appearance in the sport as well as the Games. The French athletics team won 3 medals, one of each color. Boughera El Ouafi won the gold medal in the men's marathon, France's first gold medal in the sport since 1920. Jules Ladoumègue took silver in the men's 1500 metres. Claude Ménard earned bronze in the men's high jump.
Track and road events
AthleteEventHeat QuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank Men's 100 metres 11.1 2 Q Unknown 3 did not advance Unknown 2 Q Unknown 6 did not advance Unknown 3 did not advance 11.3 2 Q Unknown 4 did not advance Women's 100 metrescolspan=2 rowspan=4 13.0 1 Q Unknown 3 did not advance Unknown 3 did not advance Unknown 2 Q Unknown 6 did not advance 13.5 4 did not advance Men's 200 metres 22.1 1 Q Unknown 3 did not advance Unknown 2 Q Unknown 4 did not advance Unknown 2 Q Unknown 4 did not advance Unknown 2 Q Unknown 5 did not advance Men's 400 metres Unknown 2 Q Unknown 4 did not advance 50.6 2 Q Unknown 3 did not advance 51.4 1 Q Unknown 2 Q 49.6 5 did not advance 50.5 2 Q Unknown 2 Q Unknown 6 did not advance Men's 800 metrescolspan=2 rowspan=4 2:03.4 1 Q did not advance Unknown 4 did not advance 1:59.0 1 Q 1:56.0 3 Q 1:57.0 8 1:58.8 1 Q 1:53.0 3 Q 1:54.6 6 Women's 800 metrescolspan=4 rowspan=2 Unknown 7 did not advance Unknown 6 did not advance Men's 1500 metrescolspan=4 rowspan=3 4:02.7 2 Q Unknown 11 Unknown 2 Q 3:53.8 Unknown 8 did not advance Men's 5000 metrescolspan=4 rowspan=3 Unknown 9 did not advance Unknown 8 did not advance Unknown 6 did not advance Men's 10,000 metrescolspan=6 rowspan=3 Unknown 16 Unknown 11 Men's 110 metres hurdlescolspan=2 rowspan=2 Unknown 2 Q Unknown 5 did not advance 15.0 1 Q Unknown 5 did not advance Men's 400 metres hurdlescolspan=2 rowspan=4 59.2 4 did not advance did not advance Unknown 5 did not advance 56.2 1 Q 57.6 4 did not advance Men's 3000 metres steeplechasecolspan=4 rowspan=2 Unknown 3 Q 9:40.0 5 9:58.9 2 Q 9:40.5 6 Men's 4 × 100 metres relaycolspan=4 rowspan=4 41.8 1 Q 42.0 4 Women's 4 × 100 metres relaycolspan=4 rowspan=4 51.0 3 Q 49.6 4 Men's 4 × 400 metres relaycolspan=4 rowspan=4 3:23.0 2 Q 3:19.4 6 Men's marathoncolspan=6 rowspan=4 2:51:15 28 2:32:57 2:46:08 23 2:51:18 29
Field events
AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePosition Men's long jump 6.70 27 did not advance 6.64 28 did not advance Men's high jump 1.83 1 1.88 7 1.83 1 1.88 7 1.83 1 1.91 Women's high jump 1.40 1 1.45 11 1.40 1 1.40 14 1.40 1 1.45 11 Men's pole vault did not advance did not advance Men's shot put 13.72 11 did not advance 12.68 18 did not advance Men's discus throw 40.23 22 did not advance 36.82 29 did not advance Women's discus throw 31.29 10 did not advance Men's javelin throw 52.82 24 did not advance
Boxing
Eight boxers, all men, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's fourth appearance in the sport. France was one of 7 nations to have the maximum numbers of boxers, one per weight class. Apell won the French boxing team's only medal, a silver in the flyweight. Galataud also advanced to the semifinals, but lost there and in the bronze medal bout to finish 4th.
Boxer EventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / Bronze matchOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRank Men's flyweight W points W points W points L points Men's bantamweight L points did not advance 9 Men's featherweight W points W points L points did not advance 5 Men's lightweight W points L points did not advance 9 Men's welterweight W points W points L points L points 4 Men's middleweight L points did not advance 9 Men's light heavyweight L points did not advance 9 Men's heavyweight L points did not advance 5
Cycling
Eight cyclists, all men, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's seventh appearance in the sport. Roger Beaufrand won France's only cycling medal in 1928, the gold medal in the sprint.
Road cycling
CyclistEventTimeRank Men's road race 5:07:12 8 5:15:14 22 5:46:06 52 5:15:54 23 Men's team road race 15:38:20 7
Track cycling
Time trial
CyclistEventTimeRank Men's time trial 1:16.0 4
Match races
Cyclist Event 1st Round Repechage 1 Repechage Final Quarterfinals Semifinals Final / Bronze match Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Men's sprint Unknown 1 Qcolspan=4 13.4 1 Q 13.2 1 Q 13.2 Men's tandem Unknown 2colspan=6 rowspan=2 did not advance Men's team pursuit Unknown 1 Qcolspan=4 rowspan=4 Unknown 1 Q Unknown 2 Unknown 2 (4th)
Equestrian
Nine equestrians, the maximum possible, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's fifth appearance in the sport. Charles Marion (dressage) and Pierre Bertran de Balanda (jumping) won individual silver medals.
Dressage
EquestrianHorseEventFinal Score Rank Rempart Dressage 187.10 23 Linon 231.00 Clough-banck 224.08 7 Rempart Team dressage 642.18 4 Linon Clough-banck
Eventing
EquestrianHorseEventFinal Score Rank Titania Eventing 1511.70 28 Nistos 1831.32 18 Poupée – Titania Team eventing 3343.02 9 Nistos Poupée
Jumping
EquestrianHorseEventFinalRe-Ride 1Re-Ride 2 Score Rank Score Rank Score Rank Papillon Jumping 0 1 0 1 2 Le Trouvère 8 26 did not advance Valangerville 4 17 did not advance Papillon Team jumping 12 5colspan=4 rowspan=3 Le Trouvère Valangerville
Fencing
20 fencers, 17 men and 3 women, represented France in 1928. It was the nation's sixth appearance in the sport. French fencers won two gold medals and three silvers, the most successful nation in the sport for the second consecutive Games. Lucien Gaudin and Georges Buchard took the top two places in the men's individual épée, with Buchard also part of the silver-medal winning men's épée team. Roger Ducret, the star of 1924 with five medals, was part of that épée team for his only medal in 1928. Gaudin won another gold medal in the men's individual foil, as well as competing on the silver-medal men's foil team. The French women, just as in 1924, all failed to reach the final.
FencerEventRound 1QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank Men's épée 7 wins 1 Q 6 wins 3 Q 6 wins 1 Q 7 wins 9 wins 1 Q 9 wins 1 Q 6 wins 1 Q 8 wins 6 wins 2 Q 7 wins 4 Q 4 wins 6 did not advance Men's team épée 2–0 1 Q 2–0 1 Q 3–0 1 Q 2–1 Men's foilcolspan=2 rowspan=3 6 wins 1 Q 4 wins 3 Q 7 wins 5 7 wins 1 Q 5 wins 2 Q 3 wins 9 5 wins 1 Q 7 wins 1 Q 9 wins Women's foilcolspan=2 rowspan=3 1 win 7 did not advance 4 wins 2 Q 2 wins 7 did not advance 1 win 7 did not advance Men's team foil 3–0 1 Q 3–0 1 Q 1–0 1 Q 1–1–1 Men's sabrecolspan=2 rowspan=3 3 wins 2 Q 5 wins 4 Q 5 wins 8 3 wins 3 Q 3 wins 6 did not advance 2 wins 3 Q 3 wins 4 Q 2 wins 10 Men's team sabrecolspan=2 rowspan=6 1–0 1 Q 1–2 3 did not advance
Football
Summary
TeamEvent Prelim. Round of 16 Quarterfinals SemifinalsFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankFrance men'sMen's tournament L 4–3 did not advance9
Men's tournament
France competed in men's football for the fifth time in 1928. The team lost its first match against Italy, 4–3, and were eliminated from the single-elimination tournament.
Team roster
Round of 16
Gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics
Twenty gymnasts, 8 men and 12 women, competed for France in 1928. It was the nation's seventh appearance in the sport, having not competed in gymnastics only in 1904. France was one of 5 nation's to send women to the first Olympic women's gymnastics competition. The French men's team placed 4th of 11, while the women's team finished 5th of 5. None of the individual gymnasts won any medals; it was the first time since 1896 that France had competed in gymnastics but not won any medals. André Lemoine came closest, with a fourth-place finish in the parallel bars.