The
French Olympic Committee selected a team of 330 athletes, 183 men and 147 women, to compete in 24 different sports; it was the nation's third largest team outside the host nation, and the first with the highest percentage of women in Olympic history. France did not qualify teams in
field hockey,
volleyball and
water polo, but did mark its Olympic return to
men's basketball after a twelve-year absence. The French team included past Olympic champions, three of them defending (Greco-Roman wrestler
Steeve Guenot, mountain biker
Julien Absalon, and the men's national handball team). Equestrian eventing rider
Denis Mesples, at age 49, was the oldest athlete of the team, while gymnast
Anne Kuhm was the youngest, at age 15. Pistol shooter and former Olympic gold medalist
Franck Dumoulin made his sixth appearance, having participated at every Summer Olympics since 1992. Épée fencer and multiple-time Olympic medalist
Laura Flessel-Colovic, meanwhile, became the first French female athlete to compete at five separate Olympic Games. Because of her repeated successes in fencing, Flessel-Colovic became France's first female flag bearer at the
opening ceremony since 1996. Other notable French athletes included slalom canoer and multiple-time world champion
Tony Estanguet, judoka and Olympic bronze medalist
Teddy Riner, swimmer and junior European champion
Yannick Agnel, pole vaulter and multiple-time European champion
Renaud Lavillenie, and basketballer
Tony Parker, who had previously played for the
NBA's
San Antonio Spurs. The following table lists the number of French competitors who participated in each Olympic sport. Note that reserves in fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are not counted as athletes. ==Archery==