title: France at the Paralympics
text: # France at the Paralympics
  
  France participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, and has taken part in every edition of the Summer and Winter Paralympics since then. France was the host country of the 1992 Winter Paralympics.
  
  French athletes have won a total of 1,263 medals at the Paralympic Games, of which 416 is gold, placing France fourth on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table.
  
  Among its most successful competitors is swimmer Béatrice Hess, winner of 20 gold medals.
  
  ## Medal tables
  
      Red border color indicates host nation status.
  
  ### Medals by summer sport
  
  | Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Swimming | 119 | 108 | 108 | 335 |
  | Athletics | 74 | 85 | 76 | 235 |
  | Wheelchair fencing | 62 | 43 | 39 | 144 |
  | Table tennis | 36 | 45 | 54 | 135 |
  | Archery | 15 | 12 | 12 | 39 |
  | Road cycling | 14 | 6 | 14 | 34 |
  | Weightlifting | 8 | 18 | 9 | 35 |
  | Shooting | 6 | 11 | 14 | 31 |
  | Powerlifting | 5 | 8 | 2 | 15 |
  | Judo | 4 | 7 | 12 | 23 |
  | Track cycling | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
  | Wheelchair tennis | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
  | Sailing | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
  | Dartchery | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
  | Badminton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
  | Lawn bowls | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
  | Wheelchair basketball | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
  | Paratriathlon | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
  | Rowing | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
  | Paracanoe | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
  | Equestrian | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
  | Football 5-a-side | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
  | Volleyball | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
  | Totals (23 entries) | 357 | 360 | 374 | 1091 |
  
  ### Medals by winter sport
  
  | Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Alpine skiing | 42 | 42 | 36 | 120 |
  | Cross-country skiing | 14 | 10 | 18 | 42 |
  | Biathlon | 8 | 5 | 4 | 17 |
  | Snowboarding | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
  | Totals (4 entries) | 66 | 58 | 59 | 183 |
  
  Best results in non-medaling sports:
  
  Summer :
  
  | Sport | Rank | Athlete | Event & Year |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Boccia | 9th | Rodrigue Brenek Sonia Heckel Samir van der Beken | Mixed pairs BC3 in 2020 |
  | Goalball | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
  | Parataekwondo | 5th | Bopha Kong | Men's – 61 kg in 2020 |
  | Wheelchair rugby | 6th | France mixed team | Mixed tournament in 2020 |
  | Winter ||||
  | Sport | Rank | Athlete | Event & Year |
  | Para ice hockey | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
  | Wheelchair curling | did not participate | did not participate | did not participate |
  
  ## Multi-medalists
  
  ### Summer Paralympics
  
  **Multiple medalists**
  
  This is a list of French athletes who have won at least three gold medals or five medals.
  
  | No. | Athlete | Sport | Years | Games | Gender | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Béatrice Hess | Swimming | 1984 - 2004 | 6 | F | 20 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
  | 2 | Assia El Hannouni | Athletics | 2004 - 2012 | 3 | F | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
  | 3 | Pascal Pinard | Swimming | 1992 - 2004 | 4 | M | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
  | 4 | Claude Issorat | Athletics | 1992 - 2004 | 4 | M | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
  | 5 | Mustapha Badid | Athletics | 1984 - 1996 | 4 | M | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
  | 6 | Robert Citerne | Wheelchair fencing | 1988 - 2004 | 7 | M | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
  
  **Multi medals in a single Games**
  
  This is a list of French athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single Games. Ordered categorically by gold medals earned, sports then year.
  
  | No. | Athlete | Sport | Year | Gender | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Pascal Pinard | Swimming | 1992 | M | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
  | 2 | Assia El Hannouni | Athletics | 2004 | F | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
  | 3 | Mustapha Badid | Athletics | 1988 | M | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
  | 4 | Claude Issorat | Athletics | 1996 | M | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
  
  **Multi medals in a single event**
  
  This is a list of French athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single event at the Summer Paralympics. Ordered categorically by medals earned, sports then gold medals earned.
  
  | No. | Athlete | Sport | Event | Years | Games | Gender | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Robert Citerne | Wheelchair fencing | Team épée | 1988-2004 | 7 | M | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
  | 2 | Charles Tolle | Athletics | 4 × 400 m relay | 1996-2000 | 2 | M | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
  
  **Most appearances**
  
  This is a list of French athletes who have competed in four or more Summer Paralympic Games. Active athletes are in bold. Athletes who were under 15 years of age or over 40 years of age are in bold.
  
  | No. | Athlete | Sport | Birth Year | Games Years | First/Last Age | Gender | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Robert Citerne | Wheelchair fencing | 1961 | 1988 - 2004 (7) | 27 - 43 | M | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
  | 2 | Béatrice Hess | Swimming | 1961 | 1984 - 2004 (6) | 22 - 42 | F | 20 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
  | 3 | Vincent Boury | Table tennis | 1969 | 1996 - 2012 (5) | 30 - 43 | M | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
  | 3 | Pierre Fairbank | Athletics | 1971 | 2000 - 2016 (5) | 29 - 45 | M | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
  | 3 | Thu Kamkasomphou | Table tennis | 1967 | 2000 - 2016 (5) | 33 - 49 | F | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
  