French Olympic Stars

Image details: Athletics Press Conf served by picapp.com

Today, July 14, is Bastille Day, the French national holiday that commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, an act that led to the French Revolution and the end of the French monarchy. In celebration, here’s a look at the stars of the 2008 French Olympic team.

Julien Absalon. This 27-year-old is a four-time world champion in cross-country mountain biking and the defending Olympic Gold Medalist.

Amelie Caze. This 23-year-old from Noyon, France is the two-time defending world champion in the women’s modern pentathlon.

Laure Manaudou. Manaudou delighted French sports fans in 2004 when she won three medals at the Athens Games (one each of Bronze, Silver, and Gold). They were the first French swimming medals since 1952.

Laura Flessel-Colovic. This 36-year-old fencing champion from the French Caribbean island of Guadaloupe (pictured above) is heading for her fourth Olympic Games. She won two Gold Medals in Atlanta, a Bronze Medal in Sydney, and a Bronze and a Silver in Athens, making her the most decorated female French athlete in Olympic history.

Jerome Thomas. This 29-year-old flyweight boxer from Picardie won Bronze in Sydney and Silver in Athens.