| start --> | | | | Julien Couly, Elodie Rogge and Nickolas Ngodrela. |
| Did you know? | | | | Triathlon: Oliver Bargibant, Stephane Lacroix and |
| France is the birthplace of Pierre de Coubertin, who is | | | | Benedicte Meunier. At the last South Pacific Games |
| the father of the Olympic Movement. This Frenchman | | | | held in Apia ( Samoa / formerly Western Samoa ) in |
| was born on January 1, 1863 in Paris. Pierre once said, | | | | November 2007, it finished 1st among 22 countries and |
| "The Olympic Movement gives the world an ideal | | | | territories. Certainly, New Caledonia has won more |
| which reckons with the reality of life, and includes a | | | | international gold medals per capita than any other |
| possibility to guide this reality toward the great Olympic | | | | country of the South Pacific. |
| idea". | | | | Paris hosted the FIVB Volleyball Men's World |
| The Summer Olympic Games were held in Paris in | | | | Championship in 1986. Final standings: 1.United States, |
| 1900. For the first time, sportswomen were allowed to | | | | 2.USSR ( currently Russia ), 3.Bulgaria, 4.Brazil, 5.Cuba, |
| compete in the Olympics ( six tennis players ). France | | | | 6.France, 7.Argentina, 8.Czechoslovakia (currently |
| won first place in the Games with 26 gold, 41 silver | | | | Czech Republic/Slovak Republic), 9.Poland, 10.Japan, |
| and 34 bronze medals. | | | | 11.China, 12.Italy, 13.Greece, 14.Venezuela, 15.Egypt, |
| Marie-José Pérec was one of France's | | | | 16.Taiwan. |
| greatest sportswomen. She was born in Guadeloupe ( | | | | Jean Schopter became the first Frenchman to win the |
| Caribbean island ) and moved to France with her | | | | Roland Garros in 1892. |
| mother when she was sixteen. Marie-Jose became | | | | France send 243 athletes to the 1984 Los Angeles |
| the second female athlete in the history of the Olympic | | | | Games. It participated in 19 sports: archery ( 2 ), |
| Games to sweep the 200m and 400m ( Atlanta'96 ). | | | | athletics (45), basketball ( 12 ), boxing ( 4 ), kayak ( 14 ), |
| Like Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and | | | | cycling ( 16 ), equestrian ( 11), fencing ( 20 ), football ( 17 |
| Reunion, New Caledonia -French territory in Oceania- is | | | | ), gymnastics ( 9 ), wrestling ( 16 ), modern pentathlon ( |
| not member of the International Olympic Committee ( | | | | 3 ), rowing ( 22 ), shooting ( 15 ), swimming ( 19 ), tennis |
| IOC ). Why? France does not allow its territories to | | | | ( 4 ), weightlifting ( 2 ), wrestling ( 8 ), sailing ( 12 ). |
| compete in the Olympics. For this reason, New | | | | This European country won the gold medal in soccer |
| Caledonia's athletes can not compete in the Olympic | | | | at the 1984 Olympic Games in the United States. |
| Games. Unlike Guam ( American territory ), Aruba ( | | | | France is the birthplace of fencing. Fencing was made |
| Dutch territory ) and Bermuda ( British territory ), it did | | | | part of the official program for the Olympics at the |
| not compete in the 2004 Olympics. Ironically, New | | | | 1896 Athens Games. |
| Caledonia has several famous sportspeople in the | | | | Paris has hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924. There |
| South Pacific. Aquatics: Olivier Saminadin, Thomas | | | | were 3,092 athletes from 44 countries who competed |
| Dahlia, Thomas Chacun, Reine-Victora Weber, Lara | | | | in 19 sports: athletics, aquatics, boxing, cycling, diving, |
| Grangeon, Diana Bui-Duyet, Adeline Williams and Gilles | | | | equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, |
| Durnesnil. Archery: Laurent Clerte, Emmanuel Guilhard, | | | | polo, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, soccer, tennis, |
| Henry Shiu, Isabelle Soeno and Sylvena Plazenet. | | | | water polo, weightlifting, wrestling. France came third |
| Athletics: Vaikula Elise Takosi, Candice Soulisse, Erwin | | | | with 13 golds, 15 silvers and 10 bronzes. |
| Casser, Bertrand Vili, Eric Frederic, Bina Ramesh, Eric | | | | Eunice Barber is one of the most famous athletes in |
| Revillard, Phoebe Wejieme and Daniel Kilamo. | | | | France. She was born on November 17, 1974 in |
| Badminton: Nicolas Martoredjo, Florent Mathey, | | | | Freetown, Sierra Leone ( Western Africa ), the world's |
| Marc-Antonie Desaynoz, Johanna Kou and Cecile | | | | poorest country. Eunice says, "I was fortunate to grow |
| Sarengat. Boxing: Christophe Lestage, Ataale Gyan | | | | up in Sierra Leone, an English-speaking African country |
| and Hannequin Benoit. Judo: Sandrine Perel, Kyo | | | | where sport is very present". For political and |
| Lussaud, Melissa Kaddour, Stephane Courtine, | | | | economic reasons, she moved to France when she |
| Jonathan Berger, Cyril Chevalier, Paul Dulac, Abedis | | | | was 18 years old. In the 1990s, Sierra Leone had one |
| Trindade de Abreu, Vaea Chadfeau and Diane | | | | of Africa's bloodiest civil wars. More than 70,000 |
| Hillaireau. Sailing: Chrisptophe Renaud, Alban Rossollin, | | | | Africans had been killed and 150,000 had left the |
| Feri Malhieu, Michael Borde, Cawle Dabin and Paiscillia | | | | country. Under the banner of Sierra Leone, Eunice |
| Poaniewa. Shooting: Theodore Tein Weiawe, Fabrice | | | | finished fifth in the heptathlon competition at the 1996 |
| Azarro and Phillipe Sinoni. Table tennis: Frederic Quach, | | | | Olympic Games in the United States. For many |
| Laurent Sens, Maxime Bataihard, Ornella Bouteille and | | | | sportswriters and experts, her Olympic performance |
| Alexandra Heraclide. Taekwondo: Annie Odino, Kevin | | | | was amazing. Three years later, she become a |
| Belhameche, John Trouilet and Arnord Sariman. Tennis: | | | | French citizen. |