France claimed its first gold medal of the 2024 Games on Saturday night when the men's rugby sevens team beat Fiji 28-7.
Antoine Dupont, the skipper of the full-size national rugby team, came off the bench to orchestrate a second-half rout of the defending champions.
Fijian teams have won the title since rugby sevens was introduced at the 2016 Games in Rio.
And the 2024 vintage got off to a flyer with a try on their first attack.
Joseva Talacolo's score silenced the partisans at the Stade de France. But they refound their voice and fervour just before halftime when Andy Timo's barnstorming run set up Jefferson-Lee Joseph.
Change
At 7-7, France coach Jerome Daret sent on Dupont.
His searing run down the left wing at the start of the second half left Aaron Grandidier Nkanang with the formalities and Rayan Rebbadj added his second conversion of the match to give France a 14-7 lead.
The score broke Fiji, who lost their discipline. Dupont took charge of a penalty and tricked his way over the touchline to effectively end the contest. The try at the end was pure grandstanding.
South Africa took the bronze medal following a 26-19 win over Australia.
China, Australia become first countries to win gold at Paris Olympics
Judo bronze
Earlier, Shirine Boukli won France's first medal of the Games when the 25-year-old claimed bronze in the women’s judo -48 kg with victory over Laura Martinez Abelenda from Spain.
Natsumi Tsunoda took the gold in the category to notch up Japan's first medal.
Luka Mkheidze from France won silver in the men's -60kg after his loss to Yeldos Smetov from Kazakhstan at the Champ de Mars Arena.
