Tony Estanguet

Tony Estanguet (born 6 May 1978 in Pau, France) is a French slalom canoeist who rose to become one of the most decorated athletes in the C1 discipline, winning three Olympic gold medals in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and London 2012, making him the first French Olympian to claim three golds in the same event. His career on the water spanned from 1994 to 2012, during which he amassed a total of 12 World Championship medals, including five golds, and captured the overall World Cup title in C1 in 2003 and 2004. Beyond his personal achievements, Estanguet contributed to the sport’s infrastructure by co‑founding the Pau‑Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium with his brother Patrice, a venue that opened in 2008 and has hosted numerous international competitions. After announcing his retirement on 30 November 2012, he transitioned to sport governance, being elected to the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission the same year and serving an eight‑year term as an IOC member. In 2016, the French government appointed him to lead Paris’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, a campaign that succeeded and led to his appointment as Chairman of the Paris Organising Committee, a role he held from February 2018 until the Games concluded in August 2024. His contributions to France were recognised with several national honours: he was named a Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite in 2000, promoted to Commander after the 2004 Olympics, and elevated to Officer of the Legion of Honour at the end of 2012. Estanguet also holds a degree from ESSEC Business School, specialising in sports marketing, and continues to influence the Olympic movement and French sport administration through his leadership and experience.