Kevin Mayer is currently 4th in the decathlon after three events.
If he is aiming for a medal, the Frenchman said he suffered from his back.
Still in athletics, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Aurel Manga qualified for the 110m hurdles final, while the American Sydney McLaughlin was crowned in the 400m hurdles by breaking the world record.
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After the failure of Renaud Lavillenie on the pole vault, it constitutes a main chance of French medals in athletics.
Wednesday, Kevin Mayer is eagerly awaited in the decathlon, he who holds the world record in the discipline.
But the silver medalist in Rio is not at his best, handicapped by severe back pain, and is currently in 4th place after three stages.
Still, France can also count on Quentin Bigot, 2019 vice-world champion in hammer throw, and qualified for the final.
In the 400-meter hurdles, American Sydney McLaughlin won gold and broke her own world record in 51 sec 46.
The main information to follow:
Diminished, Mayer makes shy debut in decathlon
Two French people qualify for the 110m hurdles finals
American McLaughlin wins 400m hurdles and breaks world record
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5:30 am: Kevin Mayer in difficulty after 3 decathlon events.
The decathlon world record holder suffers from back problems and finds himself in great difficulty after the first three decathlon events, only pointing in 4th place on Wednesday.
The French, who is seeking a first Olympic title after silver in 2016, totals 2662 points, far behind the leader, Canadian Damian Warner (2966 points).
"It's been a week since I blocked my back, it's been a very long time since it happened," he said, his eyes wet, in the mixed zone.
Mayer never managed to come close to his personal bests at the start of the Olympic decathlon.
He started with a time of 10 sec 68 in the 100 m (record at 10 sec 50), before jumping to 7.50 m at length (record at 7.80 m) and finishing by throwing the shot put at 15, 07 m (record at 17.08 m).
5:20 am: various fortunes for the French.
Frenchwoman Lara Grangeon finished 9th in the open water swimming event, won by Brazilian Marcela Cunha ahead of Dutch Sharon van Rouwendaal and Australian Kareena Lee.
In wrestling, in the under 57 kg category, the last representative of the France team Mathilde Rivière was beaten as soon as she entered the running by losing to the Mongolian Khongorzul Boldsaikhan.
She was down 7-5 when she was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury at the end of the fight.
She can still compete in the repechage provided her opponent qualifies for the final and her injury does not prevent her from fighting again.
Finally, in skateboarding, Madeleine Larcheron, 15, was eliminated in park qualifying.
La Landaise took 13th place with a score of 32.34, insufficient to be part of the eight finalists who will compete for the title.
What you missed last night: Gold and world record for Sydney McLaughlin in the 400m hurdles.
The American was crowned for the first time in her career Olympic champion in the 400m hurdles by beating her own world record in 51 sec 46. The 21-year-old athlete, who had held the world record since June 27 (51 sec 90), beat her compatriot and defending champion Dalilah Muhammad (51 sec 58) and the Dutchwoman Femke Bol (52 sec 03).
What you missed last night: injured, Bassa Mawem will not compete in the climbing final.
The Frenchman, who had passed qualifying, will not participate in Thursday's final due to a serious injury to his left arm. The vertical sprint specialist suffers "from a total rupture of the lower tendon of the biceps" and will be repatriated to France "for surgery," said the French Mountain and Climbing Federation.
What you missed last night: two French people in the 110m hurdles final.
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Aurel Manga qualified for the 110m hurdles final. Martinot-Lagarde, European champion and who had a preparation very disturbed by injuries, finished 2nd in his semi-final with his best time of the season (13 sec 25), just like Manga, who equaled his record staff in 13 sec 24.