France - London Olympics 2012 -

Article published the Thursday 26 July 2012 - Latest update : Thursday 26 July 2012

French daily marks London Olympics with biggest-ever sport paper

Australian swimmers with the Olympic rings at the Athletes' Village at the Olympic Park in London

Reuters/Jae C. Hong/Pool

By RFI

French sport daily L’Equipe has published the biggest-ever format sports paper in the world in honour of the 2012 Olympics in London. The 56cm by 80cm edition has won the paper a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Thursday’s L’Equipe is twice its usual size and billed as a “collector’s item” by its editorial staff.

Inside fans can find a life-size poster of French judo star Teddy Riner. He is 2.03 metres tall.

There’s more patriotism when it comes to its historical perspective.

Readers will find a complete list of Olympic medals won by French athletes since the start of the modern Games in 1896.

With a print run of 300,000, L’Equipe is a popular daily read for many French sport fans.

It was founded in 1946, produces a Saturday colour supplement and, since 1998, has had a television channel.