France's most memorable moments in a century of Winter Olympics

French figure skater Surya Bonaly performs a backflip at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan. The risky move was banned from competition at the time. © AFP - ERIC FEFERBERG

France has had its most successful Winter Olympics yet, bringing home a record 23 medals from the 2026 Games in northern Italy. While French athletes have never topped the table overall, they have provided some of the most striking moments in the history of an event that was born in the French Alps more than 100 years ago.

Slow beginnings in Chamonix