France at the 1936 Summer Olympics

France competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 201 competitors, 190 men and 11 women, took part in 100 events in 18 sports.

It was notable for an incident during the opening ceremonies. During the March of the Nations (when each national team with its flag parades on the field), the entire French team gave a straight-arm salute as it passed the box of Adolf Hitler (head of state of the host country for that Olympics, Germany). The French flag was also dipped in such a way as to drag it in the dirt in front of Hitlers box. There was a storm of protest in France after the incident was reported there, and accusations were made that the French Olympic committee was pro-Nazi. The committee stated that the salute (resembling the salute of Germany's ruling Nazi party) was an 'Olympic salute' (similar to Roman salute), and that dipping the colors was a tradition. The incident is recorded in Leni Riefenstahl's 1938 film Olympia.

Gold

 * Jean Despeaux – Boxing, Men's Middleweight
 * Roger Michelot – Boxing, Men's Light Heavyweight
 * Robert Charpentier, Jean Goujon, Guy Lapébie, and Roger-Jean Le Nizerhy – Cycling, Men's 4.000m Team Pursuit
 * Robert Charpentier – Cycling, Men's Individual Road Race
 * Robert Charpentier, Robert Dorgebray, and Guy Lapébie – Cycling, Men's Team Road Race
 * Louis Hostin – Weightlifting, Men's Light Heavyweight
 * Emile Poilvé – Wrestling, Men's Freestyle Middleweight

Silver

 * Henri Eberhardt – Canoeing, Men's F1 10.000m Folding Kayak Singles
 * Pierre Georget – Cycling, Men's 1.000m Time Trial
 * Guy Lapébie – Cycling, Men's Individual Road Race
 * Gérard de Ballorre, Daniel Gillois, and André Jousseaume – Equestrian, Dressage Team
 * Edward Gardère – Fencing, Men's Foil Individual
 * René Bondoux, René Bougnol, Jaques Coutrot, André Gardère, Edward Gardère, and René Lemoine – Fencing, Men's Foil Team

Bronze

 * Louis Chaillot – Cycling, Men's 1.000m Sprint (Scratch)
 * Pierre Georget and Georges Maton – Cycling, Men's 2.000m Tandem
 * Georges Buchard, Philippe Cattiau, Henri Dulieux, Michel Pécheux, Bernard Schmetz, and Paul Wormser – Fencing, Men's Épée Team
 * Marceau Fourcade, Georges Tapie, and Noël Vandernotte – Rowing, Men's Coxed Pairs
 * Marcel Chauvigné, Marcel Cosmat, Fernand Vandernotte, Marcel Vandernotte, and Noël Vandernotte – Rowing, Men's Coxed Fours
 * Charles des Jammonières – Shooting, Men's Free Pistol

Cycling
Eight cyclists, all men, represented France in 1936.


 * Individual road race
 * Robert Charpentier
 * Guy Lapébie
 * Robert Dorgebray
 * Jean Goujon


 * Team road race
 * Robert Charpentier
 * Guy Lapébie
 * Robert Dorgebray
 * Jean Goujon


 * Sprint
 * Louis Chaillot


 * Time trial
 * Pierre Georget


 * Tandem
 * Pierre Georget
 * Georges Maton


 * Team pursuit
 * Robert Charpentier
 * Jean Goujon
 * Guy Lapébie
 * Roger Le Nizerhy

Fencing
19 fencers, 16 men and 3 women, represented France in 1936.


 * Men's foil
 * Edward Gardère
 * André Gardère
 * René Lemoine


 * Men's team foil
 * André Gardère, Edward Gardère, René Lemoine, René Bondoux, Jacques Coutrot, René Bougnol


 * Men's épée
 * Michel Pécheux
 * Henri Dulieux


 * Men's team épée
 * Philippe Cattiau, Bernard Schmetz, Georges Buchard, Michel Pécheux, Henri Dulieux, Paul Wormser


 * Men's sabre
 * Marcel Faure
 * Edward Gardère
 * Jean Piot


 * Men's team sabre
 * Marcel Faure, Maurice Gramain, Edward Gardère, Jean Piot, Roger Barisien, André Gardère


 * Women's foil
 * Agathe Turgis
 * Marguerite Reuche
 * Andrée Boisson

Men's team competition

 * Preliminary Round (Group C)
 * Lost to the Netherlands (1–3)
 * Defeated Switzerland (1–0)
 * Drew with Belgium (2–2)
 * Semi Finals
 * Lost to India (0–10)
 * Final
 * Lost to the Netherlands (3–4) → Fourth Place

Modern pentathlon
Three male pentathletes represented France in 1936.


 * André Chrétien
 * Béchir Bouazzat
 * Paul Lavanga

Rowing
France had 19 rowers participate in five out of seven rowing events in 1936.


 * Men's single sculls
 * Henri Banos


 * Men's double sculls
 * André Giriat
 * Robert Jacquet


 * Men's coxed pair
 * Georges Tapie
 * Marceau Fourcade
 * Noël Vandernotte (cox)


 * Men's coxed four
 * Fernand Vandernotte
 * Marcel Vandernotte
 * Jean Cosmat
 * Marcel Chauvigné
 * Noël Vandernotte (cox)


 * Men's eight
 * Émile Lecuirot
 * Louis Devillié
 * Henri Souharce
 * Alphonse Bouton
 * Camille Becanne
 * Bernard Batillat
 * Jean Cottez
 * Marcel Charletoux
 * Claude Lowenstein (cox)

Shooting
Eight shooters represented France in 1936. Charles des Jammonières won a bronze medal in the 50 m pistol event.


 * 25 m rapid fire pistol
 * Élie Monnier
 * Charles des Jammonières
 * Édouard Lambert


 * 50 m pistol
 * Charles des Jammonières
 * Marcel Bonin
 * René Koch


 * 50 m rifle, prone
 * Jacques Mazoyer
 * Raymond Durand
 * Marcel Fitoussi