Taekwondoist Althéa Laurin claimed the women's +67kg crown on Saturday night to give France its first gold medal in the sport and the country's delegation a record haul of Olympic titles.
Laurin, 22, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics while she was in her teens, bettered that exploit with an impressive array of victories throughout the day in front a fervently patriotic fanbase at the Grand Palais in central Paris.
She did not lose a round in her three matches in her surge to the final against Svetlana Osipova.
And she took the first round against the Uzbek with a three-point headkick.
As a Mexican wave rippled around the arena to countdown the end to the second round, Osipova pierced Laurin's defence to score three points. But just before the buzzer sounded for the end of the round, Laurin also registered a head kick.
Following a review, she was awarded the round and with it the Olympic title.
"Osipova let her guard down a bit at the end," said Laurin.
"It's just incredible what's just happened especially in Paris, in front of all the French fans, I don't think I could have done better.
"I feel a lot of joy, a lot of gratitude to the public who cheered me on all day and all the people I've worked with all these years. So I hope I've made everyone proud."
Pride
Osipova, 24, the first woman from Uzbekistan to win a medal in taekwondo, said she was delighted with her achievement.
"Five months ago, I broke ligaments in my knee. It took me a while to recover. This silver medal is worth its weight in gold," she added.
Laurin's was the 16th gold harvested by French athletes since the start of the Games on 26 July.
The haul surpasses the collection of 15 golds from Atlanta in 1996 where France won 37 medals overall.
The only higher medal count in French Olympic history dates back to 1900 and more amateur times when France won 102 medals, including 27 golds.
Those Games in Paris featured only 26 nations, with some events exclusively involving French athletes.
With one day of competition left at the 2024 Games, France has amassed 62 medals to lie fifth in the medals table.
China leads the way with 39 golds.
Earlier on Saturday, the men's volleyball team beat Poland in straight sets to retain the title they won against Russia in Tokyo.
Feat
Only two other nations have successfully defended their title. The Soviet Union won the inaugural men's volleyball competition in 1964 in Tokyo and four years later in Mexico City.
The Americans emulated them in 1984 and 1988.
“It's just crazy to win in front of the fans, our family, our friends, it's amazing,” said France player Trévor Clévenot.
The 33rd Olympic Games will close on Sunday night with a lavish ceremony at the Stade de France in Saint Denis.
According to an exclusive by Variety, citing "multiple sources", Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to be part of the show.
According to the magazine, the three artists will be seen from Los Angeles in a mix of pre-taped and live performances.
The opening ceremony took place along the river Seine and though it was marred by torrential downpours, it was deemed to have been an artistic and televisual success.
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