France achieved a monumental gold medal moment at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, ending Fiji’s reign with a dramatic victory in front of nearly 70,000 enthusiastic fans at the Stade de France on Day 1 of the Games (27 July).
The game was tied 7-7 at halftime, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. The turning point came when French star Antoine Dupont entered the field in the second half, after being absent in the first.
Proving his status as one of the sport’s greatest players, Dupont scored two tries and set up a third in the final seven minutes, leading France to a stunning 28-7 victory over Fiji.
“It’s such a great honour to win this title and I have such great emotions. It’s hard to describe. It is such a great thing to achieve with these boys. It’s really top of the list,” Dupont explained. “We worked so hard for so long to do this. This is just the cherry on the cake.”
France took several risks that paid off, including Dupont’s decision to sit out the Six Nations tournament to focus entirely on the Olympics. This dedication led to France’s first-ever gold medal in the sport.
This victory was particularly striking as the French team had failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020 but returned determined to claim gold on home soil. Among the excited spectators was the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
As the final whistle blew, the audience erupted in cheers, celebrating the host nation’s first gold medal of the Games.