Those selected are headed up by swimming star Élodie Lorandi (pictured above), who claimed five gold medals at last year's European Championships.

Lorandi, a Paralympic silver medallist, also broke three European records at that event, and will be joined in the pool by David Smétanine, who is defending gold in the 50 metres and 100m S4 freestyle events.

He won three titles at last year's International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Stéphane Houdet (pictured below), an Athens 2004 quarter-finalist, is another major contender for France in tennis.

The world number one claimed his first French Open title last month, setting him up perfectly for the Paralympics.

Among the other notable inclusions is Laurent Thirionet, a double Paralympic gold medal winning cyclist, who will be competing at his fourth Games this summer.


France's largest delegation of athletes is for the athletics, for which they will send 29 competitors.

Another 28 will take part in the table tennis.

France is looking to build on its performance in Beijing four years' ago, when they won 21 golds and 52 medals in total.

They were 12th in the overall medal standings.

France will select its flag bearer for this summer's Games on July 10.

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