This picture taken on March 9, 2015 in the Argentine province of La Rioja shows the three French sports stars (from L) Champion sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic gold medallist swimmer Camille Muffat, and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, moments before they enters a helicopter that crashed while filming a reality TV show. Arthaud, Muffat and Vastine were among 10 people killed when two helicopters filming the survival series ‘Dropped’ smashed into each other in the rugged mountains of La Rioja province. (AFP)

AFP/London

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday mourned the death of three French sports stars, including two Olympic medallists, in a helicopter accident during the filming of a reality show.
Olympic swimming champion Camille Muffat, bronze medallist boxer Alexis Vastine and yachtswoman Florence Arthaud were among 10 people killed when two helicopters collided in Argentina on Monday.
The International Olympic Committee announced in a statement that its Olympic flag would fly at half-mast for three days at the IOC headquarters to honour the “great champions”.  
“We are shocked by this sad news,” the IOC said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these great athletes who have left us.”
“With them, the world of sport and the Olympic family have lost three of their key members. They were all not only champions in their sport but also contributed greatly as role models.”
Arthaud, 57, was one of the first women to carve a place for herself in the top levels of sailing with a 1990 record for the fastest solitary crossing of the Atlantic.
Muffat, 25, won 400 metres freestyle gold at the 2012 London Olympics and silver in 200 metres as well as a 4x200 metre freestyle relay bronze. Vastine, 28, won bronze at the Beijing Games four years earlier. The IOC said the Olympic flag would be flown at half-mast for three days at its headquarters.
Other athletes paid tribute on social media. “An enormous thought for Camille, Alexis and Florence and the others. Tragic. They made France and their sport grow,” said France’s Laure Manaudou, who won the same gold as Muffat at the 2004 Athens Games.
“She (Muffat) succeeded me, we shouted for her, cried for her victories, we cry for her tragic disappearance. We shared strong moments, publicity campaign photos, we boxed, danced, laughed and now we are mourning.”
Former British swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won two golds at the Beijing Games and took 400m freestyle bronze behind Muffat in 2012, remembered her as “genuine and gracious”.
“Every athlete who wins a gold medal at the Olympics is on cloud nine, but I could tell with Camille how much it meant to her,” she added. “She couldn’t stop smiling and when I wished her good luck for her 200m later in the week she smiled and just said it didn’t matter anymore as her dream had come true.
“Camille was only a year younger than myself, she was only 25. She was very inspiring, a tough competitor, extremely talented and friendly person. She will be missed by many.”
Swimming’s ruling body FINA tweeted: “To Muffat’s family and friends and to the entire Aquatic community in France, FINA expresses its deepest condolences.”
“It is with dismay that French swimming learned of the death of the Olympic swimming champion Camille Muffat,” the French Swimming Federation FFN said in an issued statement.  
“With the passing of this great champion, this strong, humble and determined person is torn from her family, her friends, her admirers.  Our sadness is immense, deep, violent.
“All our thoughts are with family. The pain is shared with the people and athletes who died alongside Camille. Iconic champions, people torn from life.”
Four-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Janet Evans of the United States added in a tweet: “Shocked and saddened to hear of Camille Muffat’s passing. An incredible athlete and an inspiration to us all.
#RIP”
Bill Furniss, British Swimming’s head coach, also reached out to express his sorrow, saying: “Camille was someone who commanded respect as both a great competitor and as a person. Rebecca and her had some tremendous battles over the years and she will be sadly missed. I would like to offer my condolences to her family, friends and all at French Swimming.”
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) reached out to express its sadness at the loss of Vastine. “My thoughts go out to the family & friends of Alexis Vastine, a world class boxer & Olympic Champion. A huge loss to boxing community #RIP,” tweeted Karim Bouzidi, the AIBA’s deputy executive
director.