The French sports contingent sent its largest post-war delegation to Rio for the Summer Olympics, and it can now boast another record: the highest number of medals won in a single edition. 42 in total, comprising 10 gold medals, 18 silver, and 14 bronze.
Excluding the year 1900 in Paris, this is more than any other edition of the Games, surpassing the previous post-war record held in Beijing (41 medals in 2008). “This highlights an overall quality,” rejoices Denis Masseglia, the president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee.
Denis Masseglia wanted to emphasize “a more than positive outcome” for the 395 French athletes, as the proverbial “magic of the Games” worked once again. Thus, the Games always bring “their share of surprises” but also “their share of frustrations” where the performances of various athletes defy the “rationality” of predictions — or “potentialities,” as he terms it.
The Secretary of State for Sports, Thierry Braillard, could hardly do anything else but join in the “collective praise” to avoid dissent.
To preclude accusations of blind optimism, Thierry Braillard mentioned uneven development across sports: fifteen sports federations won medals for France this summer, while thirteen others left empty-handed.
Another “major development challenge” is the high-level participation of women. While other countries mainly rely on female sports, France won only a quarter of its medals (28%) through female athletes, noted Thierry Braillard.
He now calls, in October, for “general states of high-level sport” in France to be organized.
The idea is to “turn silver into gold” at the upcoming Tokyo Games in 2020 and use this alchemy to reach 5th place in the nations ranking. Meanwhile, the French leave Rio in the 7th overall position.
And with renewed enthusiasm, according to Denis Masseglia, to “welcome the world” to Paris if the city wins the bid for the 2024 edition.
