The announcement did not please everyone. On Wednesday, March 13, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOF) and the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) revealed the criteria for being the flag bearer of the French delegation at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
To be eligible for this honor, candidates must have already participated in a previous edition of the Games, excluding profiles like rugby player Antoine Dupont or basketball star Victor Wembanyama. Applicants who have already been flag bearers in previous editions are also excluded. Athletes like Teddy Riner, who was the captain at Rio in 2016, as well as Clarisse Agbégnénou and gymnast Samir Aït Saïd, who were flag bearers at the last Tokyo Games (2021), are therefore sidelined.
Additionally, a third criterion states that the next French flag bearer must have a clean criminal record. Multi-medalled handball player Nikola Karabatic, who was sentenced to two months of suspended prison in a sports betting case in 2016, could be affected by this requirement. This criterion is still being studied, with further details to be presented to sports federations on Monday, March 18, by David Lappartient, president of the CNOF. He explained that the chosen flag bearers must “respect sports ethics and embody Olympic values” to avoid controversy.
As fate would have it, on the same day, the website L’Internaute published a survey revealing the ideal flag bearer for the French people at the Paris Olympics. The top three choices, Teddy Riner, Antoine Dupont, and Kylian Mbappé, all do not meet the criteria set by the CNOF and CPSF. Judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou, on her X account (formerly Twitter), addressed the poll with sarcasm, highlighting the discrepancies between public opinion and the imposed discriminatory conditions for selecting the flag bearers.
“I hear the various criticisms,” stated Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the CPSF. She emphasized that the criteria intend to showcase new faces in the sporting world and bring awareness to lesser-known disciplines. Le Fur remained open to other athletes applying for the role of flag bearer, acknowledging the wealth of talent in French sports.
While selecting a less publicized flag bearer might seem like a communication drawback, there are no major implications. The sports business expert, Aurélie Lienhart, noted that the designation of flag bearers is in July, making it impractical to wait until then to generate enthusiasm for the Games. Ultimately, the economist of sport, Christophe Lepetit, affirmed that the French audience is more likely to relate to a lesser-known athlete and their personal story, as opposed to a well-known star.
The chosen flag bearers will be the result of a vote in mid-July. For the first time in history, all selected athletes (or those in the process of selection for the Paralympics) will elect a man and a woman to represent them. This peer election is significant as the role of the flag bearer is to act as a captain and mentor. The decision to involve athletes in the selection process demonstrates a cohesive and inclusive approach within the French Olympic and Paralympic movement.
