French sports minister asks for tributes to be paid to athletes killed in crash

Published Mar. 11, 2015 9:41 a.m. ET

foxsports

PARIS -- French sports minister Patrick Kanner is asking for tributes to be paid at sports events to the three athletes who died in a helicopter crash.

Olympic champion swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic bronze-medalist boxer Alexis Vastine and pioneering sailor Florence Arthaud were among 10 people who died as two helicopters filming a reality show crashed in a remote part of Argentina on Monday.

Speaking at a remembrance ceremony at the French National Institute For Sports, Kanner says "it's a small part of France that disappeared in Argentina."

About 400 people, including families of the victims and athletes, gathered at the ceremony in Paris and held a minute's silence.