French Female Sportspersons

Athina Onassis Roussel is a French-Greek heiress and equestrian. She is the granddaughter and the only surviving descendant of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Her parents are Aristotle's daughter Christina Onassis and her fourth husband, Thierry Roussel. She began riding horses as a child and is now a competitive showjumper. Following Christina Onassis’s death, Athina became her sole heiress.  

Nathalie Péchalat is a French former ice dancer who won two European championships, five French national championships, and five medals at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final along with her skating partner Fabian Bourzat. She is currently serving as the president of the French Federation of Ice Sports.

Isabelle Duchesnay is a former ice dancer who won the 1991 World Championship title and the silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics along with her brother and skating partner Paul Duchesnay. Born to a Canadian father and French mother, Isabelle Duchesnay has represented both France and Canada. In 1992, she released her book Notre passion.

With famous cyclists in her family, Marion Rousse became a talented cyclist in her own right. A champion for women’s cycling, she now heads the Tour de France Femmes as its director. She is also a successful TV consultant who has appeared on shows such as Les rois de la pédale.

Born to parents who ran a bicycle school, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and her two siblings gained an interest in racing in their early years. Apart from winning the XCO world championship thrice, she also became the first to hold the road, the cyclocross, and the mountain bike world titles simultaneously.

Former world number 15, Iranian-origin French tennis star Aravane Rezai was initially a ball girl. She made headlines when her difficult relationship with her father led to him being banned from following her in all WTA tournaments. She has won 2 Women's Islamic Games, representing Iran, though she later represented France.

Marina Anissina is a French-Russian ice dancer who represents France in major tournaments, such as the Olympics. She won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics and is a six-time French national champion. She has also represented France in European Championships, where she has won two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal.