Olympic athletes for France

Jacques "Jacky" Boxberger (16 April 1949 – 9 August 2001) was a track and field athlete from France who specialized in long-distance races.
He was the great hope of French middle-distance running, breaking the junior world record in the 1500 metres at Stade Charléty in 1968. He represented France at the 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics, placing sixth in the 1968 1500 metres and 42nd in the 1984 marathon. He also won the Paris Marathon in 1983 and 1985, the 1500 metres title at the 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the Marrakech Marathon in 1987, and French titles in the 1500 metres, 5000 metres, and 10000 metres. He suffered a knee injury during his military service with the Joinville battalion. His career was the most brilliant among male French distance runners of his era behind only that of former world mile record-holder Michel Jazy.Boxberger was part of the French team that finished third at the World Cross Country Championships in 1976.
In 2001, Boxberger was on vacation with his family in Kenya. While he was trying to film an elephant on a safari, the animal picked him up with its trunk, threw him against a tree, and trampled him to death.The middle distance runner Ophélie Claude-Boxberger is his daughter.

René Bonino (14 January 1930 – 17 August 2016) was a French sprinter who competed in the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics. He died on 18 August 2016 at the age of 86 .

Colette Besson (7 April 1946 – 9 August 2005) was a French athlete, the surprise winner of the 400 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Pierre Lewden (21 February 1901 – 30 April 1989) was a French high jumper who competed at the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics. He won a bronze medal in 1924 and finished in seventh place in 1920 and 1928. Despite his short statue (1.67 m) Lewden was ranked #1–2 in Europe and #3–9 in the world in 1921–1925.

Jules Ladoumègue (French: [ʒyl ladumɛg]; 10 December 1906 – 2 March 1973) was a French middle-distance runner. He became a running star as the sport enjoyed a huge resurgence at the start of the Great Depression, fueled in large part by newsreel coverage. His career was abruptly cut short when he was banned for life from track for payments he received for several races.

Ignace Heinrich (31 July 1925 – 9 January 2003) was a French athlete who competed mainly in the decathlon. He was born in Ebersheim, Bas-Rhin, Alsace.He competed for France in the decathlon at the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain, winning a silver medal. He died in Carnoux-en-Provence.

Paul Louis Marcel Genevay (21 January 1939 – 11 March 2022) was a French sprinter. He competed in the 200 m and 4 × 100 m events at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the relay in 1964. He failed to reach the final in three other competitions. Genevay won two gold and one silver medals in the sprint at the 1959 Mediterranean Games. He died on 11 March 2022, at the age of 83.

Alexandre François Étienne Jean Bouin (French: [bwɛ̃]; 21 December 1888 – 29 September 1914) was a French middle-distance runner. He competed in the 1500m at the 1908 Olympics and the 5000m at the 1912 Olympics. He won a silver medal in the 5000m in 1912, behind Hannes Kolehmainen. His race against Kolehmainen has long been regarded as one of the most memorable moments in running. Kolehmainen and Bouin quickly pulled away from the others, with Bouin leading and Kolehmainen repeatedly trying to pass him. Kolehmainen succeeded only 20 metres from the finish, winning by 0.1 seconds. Both contenders broke the world record.Bouin set three more world records: two in 1911, in the 3,000 m and 10,000 metres, and one in 1913, in the one-hour run (19,021 metres). The next year, he was killed in action during World War I. After that the Stade Jean-Bouin in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, home of the Stade Français rugby union club, was named after him. The French government made a stamp
with his picture on it and many games have been held in his honor. A 10 km race under the name of Jean Bouin has taken place every year through the streets of Barcelona since 1920.

Paul Winter (February 6, 1906 – February 22, 1992) was a French athlete who competed mainly in the discus throw and also shotput. He was born in Ribeauvillé, Haut-Rhin.
He competed for a France in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, California, in the discus throw where he won the bronze medal and also the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany were he failed to qualify.He also won four French championships in 1931,1933, 1935 and 1937.

Michel Bernard (31 December 1931 – 14 February 2019) was a French middle- and long-distance runner. He competed at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics in the 1500 m and 5000 m and finished in seventh place in all events. During his career he won nine national titles, in the 1500 m (1955 and 1959), 5000 m (1958–1960 and 1962) and 10000 m (1961, 1964 and 1965). Between 1985 and 1987 he was president of the Fédération française d'athlétisme.