An official announcement on the appointment of the 54-year-old former handball player, a member of France’s team that won the Olympic bronze medal at Barcelona 1992, had been delayed by the shock resignation earlier this year of Brigitte Henriques as President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).

Henriques had identified Richardson to lead France’s team at his first home Summer Olympics for a century at Paris 2024 and, newspaper L’Equipe has reported that her successor David Lappartient will rubber stamp the choice tomorrow.

It will be the second time that the CNOSF has given major recognition to Richardson, who carried France’s flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Richardson’s appointment will come just a day before representatives from more than 200 countries start to arrive in the French capital for the official Paris 2024 Chef de Mission Seminar.

There will be four days of presentations scheduled to open on Friday (July 14) followed by venue tours on July 18 and 19.

Richardson, born in the French overseas department and region of Réunion, is acknowledged as one of his country’s greatest handball players.

He scored a record 775 goals for France in 417 appearances and was a member of the teams that lifted World Championships titles in 1995 and 2001, as well as winning silver in 1993 and bronze in 1997, 2003 and 2005.

Richardson was voted the International Handball Federation's player of the year in 1995.

Richardson’s son Melvyn was part of the French handball team that won the gold medal at the re-arranged Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

French Ski Federation President Michel Vion was France’s Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 before French Ice Sports Federation leader Nathalie Péchalat led the delegation at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Paris 2024 is due to open on July 26 next year and conclude on August 11.