France Announces 164 Athletes for London 2012

At this year’s Paralympic Games, France will compete in 10 different sports, with swimmers Elodie Lorandi and David Smetanine headlining the delegation. 04 Jul 2012

Swimmer Elodie Lorandi is expected to lead France's delegation at London 2012.

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By IPC

France will participate in 10 different sports at the Paralympic Games, with the nation’s largest delegations being 29 competitors for Athletics and 28 athletes for Table Tennis.

Comité Paralympique et Sportif Français, the French National Paralympic Committee, revealed the 164 athletes on Wednesday (4 July) who will represent the country at this year’s London 2012 Paralympic Games.

France will participate in 10 different sports at the Paralympic Games, with the nation’s largest delegations being 29 competitors for Athletics and 28 athletes for Table Tennis.

Individually, swimmers Elodie Lorandi and David Smetanine will be two to watch in the pool.

Lorandi, who won silver in the 200m Individual Medley SM10 in her Paralympic Games debut at Beijing 2008, was one of the stars of the 2011 IPC Swimming European Championships in Berlin. She took home five gold medals and broke three European records at the event.

Smetanine, an strong able-bodied swimmer before a car crash left him a partial quadriplegic in 1995, cruised at Beijing 2008, winning gold in the 50m and 100m S4 freestyle events, as well as silver in the 50m S4 backstroke and 200m S4 freestyle. He then went on to win three titles at the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

In London France hopes to better its 52-meal performance from the last Summer Games that included 21 golds. The country finished 12th in the medal standings in 2008.

France will next choose its flag bearer for London 2012 on 10 July.

Click here to view the full list of athletes selected for London 2012.