00:00French athletes are returning home triumphant this Monday after their most successful Winter Olympics yet,
00:06bringing home a record 23 medals from the 2026 Games in Northern Italy.
00:11Well now, they're in Albertville, host of the 1992 Games, for a symbolic handover of the Olympic flag,
00:18which will be raised with a sound and light show on a 50-metre flagpole.
00:22Well, for more, here's sports editor Selina Sykes, who's in Albertville.
00:26Selina, it was a very successful Games then for the French delegation.
00:32That's right, Caris, a triumphant return for the French delegation after what you said was a historic Winter Games for
00:41them.
00:41A record 23 medals won in Milan.
00:45Corteen absolutely obliterating the previous record of 15.
00:49That was set back in 2014 in Sochi and was equaled back in 2018 in Pyeongchang.
00:55Twenty-three medals won this time round.
00:59Eight of those were golds, also breaching the previous record of five gold medals previously for the French delegation.
01:07An absolutely remarkable achievement for France, which leaves them sixth in the medal table behind Norway,
01:15the US, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
01:19They were aiming for a top five finish, but just finishing outside of that.
01:25The centre of that success regarding those medals was, of course, that Biaflon team,
01:31who won 13 medals just in Biaflon alone.
01:34Six golds, an absolutely remarkable achievement, obviously led by French legend now, Quentin Fillon Maillet,
01:44who is now the most decorated French athlete in Olympic history with nine gold medals, nine medals, sorry,
01:51four won in Italy this time round.
01:54Obviously, so many faces for the French for that Olympic Games.
01:58Those other Biaflon athletes, the Julian Simon, Eric Pierrot, Ossian Michelon are some of the other famous faces who are
02:09here today.
02:10We obviously had also a breakout star, Matisse Deloge in the cross-country skiing himself,
02:16winning three silver medals for the French delegation.
02:19And obviously, one of the most memorable moments of the Games in Italy was that gold medal in ice dance
02:27for Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier.
02:31Boudry, a remarkable achievement for the pair.
02:34Cizeron becoming the first ice dancer to win two gold medals with two different partners after having won gold four
02:41years ago
02:42with his previous partner, Gabriella Pacadacchi.
02:45Lisa now this time around with his new partner, an even more remarkable achievement because the pair have only been
02:51skating together for the past year.
02:55A remarkable chemistry between the pair.
02:57I managed to ask him a question earlier on over the on the future of their partnership.
03:02And this is what Laurence had to say.
03:06I think we achieved everything we wanted to achieve this season so far because of our relationship and our friendship
03:13that we've had.
03:15Our vision is the same.
03:18The pleasure we shared on the ice was amazing.
03:21We don't know yet what the future reserves for us, but we know that we'll keep skating together
03:27and we'll regroup at the end of the season afterwards to see what we want to do and where we
03:32want to go.
03:34Marcelina, all eyes are now on Albert Ville ahead of 2030.
03:41That's right, Caris, the Olympic flag has been officially handed over to the French Alps.
03:47That was handed over in the closing ceremony in Verona yesterday evening.
03:52And now all eyes obviously here in Albert Ville.
03:55It's a day of celebration here obviously for the French delegation.
03:58And all eyes are now obviously of course on the hosts here back here in four years' time.
04:05Albert Ville holding the Olympic Games 34 years ago back in 1992.
04:09And now they have hosting rights again.
04:12The French delegation having already set their medal goal for four years' time.
04:17They want to win between 28 to 30 medals and 10 goals next time round.
04:22Obviously it looks like a medal count that could be more than possible considering the remarkable achievements in Milan and
04:29Cortina this time round.
04:31With those 20 free medals, as you said, a day of celebration.
04:36The Olympic flag will be shown here later on in an evening of celebrations here in Albert Ville.
04:42Obviously now the clock is already ticking to get those Games organised in time.
04:47We're four years to go.
04:48Obviously organisers expecting to use a lot of existing infrastructure from the Games 34 years ago.
04:56But obviously that clock ticking now carries before those Games here in four years' time.
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