France competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. 304 competitors, 296 men and 8 women, took part in 113 events in 23 sports.
Medalists
Gold Julien Louis Brule — Archery, Men's Individual moving bird 50m Joseph Guillemot — Athletics, Men's 5000m Paul Fritsch — Boxing, Featherweight Fernand Canteloube, Georges Detreille, Achille Souchard and Marcel Gobillot — Cycling, Men's Time Trial Armand Massard — Fencing, Men's Individual Epee Suzanne Lenglen and Max Decugis — Tennis, Mixed doubles Suzanne Lenglen — Tennis, Women's singles Henri Gance — Weightlifting, Middleweight Ernest Cadine — Weightlifting, Light heavyweight
Silver Julien Louis Brulé, Léonce Gaston Quentin, Pascal Fauvel, Eugène Grisot, Eugène Richez, Artur Mabellon, Léon Epin and Paul Leroy — Archery, Men's Team moving bird 33m Julien Louis Brulé, Léonce Gaston Quentin, Pascal Fauvel, Eugène Grisot, Eugène Richez, Artur Mabellon, Léon Epin and Paul Leroy — Archery, Men's Team moving bird 50m Léonce Gaston Quentin — Archery, Men's Individual moving bird 28m Julien Louis Brule — Archery, Men's Individual moving bird 33m Joseph Guillemot — Athletics, Men's 10000m René Tirard, René Lorain, René Mourlon and Émile Ali-Khan — Athletics, Men's 4 × 100 m relay Jean Gachet — Boxing, Featherweight Field — Equestrian, Individual vaulting Field, Salins, Cauchy — Equestrian, Team vaulting Alexandre Lippmann — Fencing, Men's Individual Epee Philippe Cattiau — Fencing, Men's Individual Foil André Labattut, Georges Trombert, Marcel Perrot, Lucien Gaudin, Philippe Cattiau, Roger François Ducret, Gaston Amson and Lionel Bony De Castellane — Fencing, Men's Team Foil Jean Margraff, Marc Marie Jean Perrodon, Henri Marie Raoul De Saint Germain and Georges Trombert — Fencing, Men's Team Sabre Marco Torrès — Gymnastics, Men's Individual all-around Gabriel Poix, Maurice Monney-Bouton and Ernest Barberolle — Rowing, Men's pair with coxswain (2+) Men's Team — Rugby Albert Weil, Félix Picon and Robert Monier — Sailing, 6.5 metre class (1919 rating) Léon Johnson, Émile Rumeau, Achille Paroche, André Parmentier and Georges Roes — Shooting, Men's Team 300m military rifle, prone Léon Johnson — Shooting, Men's 300m military rifle, prone
Bronze Julien Louis Brulé, Léonce Gaston Quentin, Pascal Fauvel, Eugène Grisot, Eugène Richez, Artur Mabellon, Léon Epin and Paul Leroy — Archery, Men's Team moving bird 28m Géo André, Gaston Féry, Maurice Delvart and André Devaux — Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m relay Albert Eluère — Boxing, Heavyweight Fernand Canteloube — Cycling, Men's Individual Time Trial Gustave Buchard — Fencing, Men's Individual Epee Armand Massard, Alexandre Lippmann, Gustave Buchard, Georges Casanova, Georges Trombert, Gaston Amson and Louis Moureau — Fencing, Men's Team Epee Roger François Ducret — Fencing, Men's Individual Foil Jean Gounot — Gymnastics, Men's Individual all-around Men's Team — Gymnastics Gaston Giran and Alfred Plé — Rowing, Men's double scull (2x) Pierre Albarran and Max Decugis — Tennis, Men's doubles Elisabeth D'Ayen and Suzanne Lenglen — Tennis, Women's doubles Louis Bernot — Weightlifting, Heavyweight
Archery
France sent eight archers in its third Olympic archery appearance, all of whom won at least three medals. The team ended up with one gold medal, four silvers, and a bronze. Because of the lack of competition, the team's worst possible result would have been five silvers and a bronze; thus, Brulé's victory over Belgium's van Innis in the individual moving bird at 50 metres to take the gold medal was the only actual success the team had.
ArcherEventFinalScoreRank Julien Brulé Moving bird, 50 m 134 Moving bird, 33 m 94 Léonce Quentin Moving bird, 28 m 104 Julien Brulé Léon Epin Pascal Fauvel Eugène Grisot Paul Leroy Artur Mabellon Léonce Quentin Eugène Richez Team moving bird, 50 m 2493 Team moving bird, 33 m 2586 Team moving bird, 28 m 2328
Aquatics
Diving
A single diver represented France in 1920. It was the nation's debut appearance in the sport. Weil came in last in his springboard semifinal group and did not advance to the final.
Men
Ranks given are within the semifinal group.
DiverEventSemifinalsFinalPointsScoreRankPointsScoreRank Rémy Weil 3 m springboard 31 477.30 7 Did not advance
Swimming
Thirteen swimmers, ten men and three women, represented France in 1920. It was the nation's fourth appearance in the sport. None of the swimmers were able to advance to an event final.
Ranks given are within the heat.
Men
SwimmerEventQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRank Émile Arbogast 200 m breast Unknown 5 Did not advance 400 m breast Unknown 4 Did not advance Pierre Lavraie 1500 m free Did not finish Did not advance Lucien Lebaillif 200 m breast Unknown 5 Did not advance 400 m breast 7:12.2 2 Q Unknown 5 Did not advance Daniel Lehu 100 m back N/A Unknown 6 Did not advance Henri Matter 100 m back N/A Unknown 5 Did not advance Henri Padou 100 m free 1:08.4 3 Did not advance Georges Pouilley 100 m free Unknown 4 Did not advance Paul Vasseur 400 m free 6:30.4 3 Did not advance Rémy Weil 100 m free Unknown 4 Did not advance Albert Mayaud Henri Padou Georges Pouilley Paul Vasseur 4 × 200 m free relay N/A 11:53.0 4 Did not advance
Women
SwimmerEventSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRank Yvonne Degraine 100 m free Unknown 4 Did not advance Ernestine Lebrun 100 m free Unknown 4 Did not advance 300 m free Unknown 5 Did not advance Suzanne Wurtz 100 m free Unknown 5 Did not advance 300 m free 5:33.0 4 Did not advance
Water polo
France competed in the Olympic water polo tournament for the third time in 1920. A modified version of the Bergvall System was in use at the time. France was defeated by Brazil in the opening round, not qualifying for either the silver or bronze tournaments.
Round of 16
Final rank 11th
Athletics
59 athletes represented France in 1920. It was France's sixth appearance in athletics, having competed in the sport at every Olympics. Guillemot took the nation's first Olympic gold medal in athletics by winning the 5,000 metres. He also added a silver in the 10,000 while the team took two more medals in the relay events.
Ranks given are within the heat.
AthleteEventHeatsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank Émile Ali-Khan 100 m 11.0 1 Q 10.9 2 Q 10.8 2 Q 11.2 5 Géo André 400 m 52.3 2 Q 51.6 3 Q 51.6 5 Did not advance 400 m hurdlesalign=center colspan=2 55.9 2 Q 2 Q 54.8 4 Kléber Argouach 800 malign=center colspan=2 2:02.5 4 Q1:59.6 6 Did not advance André Audinet 1500 malign=center colspan=4 4:03.7 3 Q 4:12.2 6 Fernand Bauduin 800 malign=center colspan=2 1:59.1 3 Q 2:01 5 Did not advance Eugène Bayon 400 m 52.4 3 Did not advance Henri Bernard 110 m hurdlesalign=center colspan=2 3 Did not advance Edmond Bimont Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 32 Edmond Brossard 3000 m steeplechasealign=center colspan=4 4 Did not advance Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 31 Armand Burtin 1500 malign=center colspan=4 4:07.7 4 Did not advance Robert Caste 200 m 23.0 1 Q 22.2 3 Did not advance André Chilo Triple jump 12.54 17align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Maurice de Conninck 1500 malign=center colspan=4 4:11.0 4 Did not advance Eugène Coulon Long jump 6.50 11align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Charles Courtin Long jump 6.23 17align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Maurice Delvart 400 m 51.0 3 Did not advance Henri Dozolme Shot put 11.965 15align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Lucien Duquesne 5000 malign=center colspan=4 16:08.2 5 Did not advance 10000 malign=center colspan=4 35:06.6 7 Did not advance Émile Ecuyer Discus throw 36.10 14align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Paul Esparbès 800 malign=center colspan=2 1:58.0 4 Q 1:57.3 3 Q 1:58.6 8 Gaston Féry 400 m 51.2 1 Q 50.6 1 Q51.0 6 Did not advance André Francquenelle Pole vault 3.60 1 Qalign=center colspan=4 3.40 10 Étienne Gajan Pole vault 3.50 14align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Robert Geyer 3000 m steeplechasealign=center colspan=4 11:11.9 4 Did not advance Robert Goullieux 800 malign=center colspan=2 1:58.8 1 Q 1:59.6 5 Did not advance Pierre Grany Javelin throw 47.90 14align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Charles Guézille Long jump 5.485 27align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Joseph Guillemot 5000 malign=center colspan=4 15:33.0 1 Q 14:55.6 10000 malign=center colspan=4 32:41.6 1 Q 31:47.2 Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 Did not finish Georges Guillon 3000 m steeplechasealign=center colspan=4 10:44.3 6 Did not advance Pierre Guilloux High jump 1.75 13align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Gaston Heuet 10000 malign=center colspan=4 32:11.1 3 Q Did not finish Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 28:10.0 8 Louis Ichard Marathonalign=center colspan=6 Did not finish Antoine Jarrety 400 m hurdlesalign=center colspan=2 Did not finish Did not advance René Labat High jump 1.80 1 Qalign=center colspan=4 1.75 9 Paul Lagarde Pole vault 3.60 1 Qalign=center colspan=4 3.40 11 Frédéric Langrenay 3000 m steeplechasealign=center colspan=4 10:39.8 5 Did not advance Gustave Lauvaux Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 17 René Leray 1500 malign=center colspan=4 4:16.5 5 q 4:25.0 10 Pierre Lewden High jump 1.80 1 Qalign=center colspan=4 1.80 7 René Lorain 100 m 11.1 3 Did not advance 200 m 25.0 1 Q 23.0 3 Did not advance Albert Lucas 400 m hurdlesalign=center colspan=2 4 Did not advance Jean-Baptiste Manhès 5000 malign=center colspan=4 16:07.8 7 Did not advance 10000 malign=center colspan=4 34:12.0 4 Q 32:26.0 6 Albert Moché Marathonalign=center colspan=6 2:50:00.2 18 René Mourlon 100 m 11.2 1 Q 11.0 3 Did not advance Léonce Oleffe 1500 malign=center colspan=4 4:11.5 5 Did not advance Marcel Orfidan Long jump 6.39 14align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Raoul Paoli Shot put 12.485 12align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Arthur Picard Javelin throw 47.09 15align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Daniel Pierre Discus throw 35.53 15align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Etienne Proux Triple jump 12.925 16align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Gustave Remouet Triple jump 12.475 19align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Joseph Servella Cross countryalign=center colspan=6 21 Jean-René Seurin 200 m 23.6 3 Did not advance Martial Simon 10 km walkalign=center colspan=4 Disqualified Did not advance Henri Teyssedou Marathonalign=center colspan=6 3:00:04.0 25 René Tirard 100 m 11.7 2 Q 11.2 4 Did not advance 200 m 23.2 1 Q 23.2 3 Did not advance André Tison Discus throw 37.35 11align=center colspan=4 Did not advance Amédée Trichard Marathonalign=center colspan=6 Did not finish Edmond Brossard Armand Burtin Gaston Heuet 3000 m teamalign=center colspan=4 7 1 Q 30 4 Gaston Heuet Gustave Lauvaux Joseph Servella Team cross countryalign=center colspan=6 40 5 Émile Ali-Khan René Lorain René Mourlon René Tirard 4 × 100 m relayalign=center colspan=4 43.0 1 Q 42.5 Géo André Maurice Delvart André Devaux Gaston Féry 4 × 400 m relayalign=center colspan=4 3:46.6 3 Q 3:23.5
Boxing
15 boxers represented France at the 1920 Games. It was the nation's second appearance in boxing. The team won three medals, including one of each type, after four of the 15 men advanced to the semifinals. The two French featherweight boxers faced off in the finals, taking gold and silver. The bronze came in the heavyweight class. France, which had not won a single bout in 1908, took fourth place on the boxing medals leader board.