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', and that dipping the colors was a tradition. The incident is recorded in Leni Riefenstahl's 1938 film Olympia.
Medalists
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
Athletics
Basketball
Boxing
Canoeing
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
Diving
Equestrian
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
Field hockey
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
Gymnastics
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)