Introduction. Physical exercise is beneficial to health, but it can also lead to accidents of varying severity, some of which result in death. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of traumatic deaths related to sports participation in 2010 in metropolitan France. Method. The study involved collecting data on traumatic deaths that occurred in 2010 in metropolitan France as a result of sports participation, regardless of the context of the activity (professional, recreational, or travel). The only exclusions were deaths by bicycle, deaths in aircraft, and deaths by drowning that occurred outside the context of sports participation. Deaths were identified in data collected by public institutions, in media accessible via the Internet, and on the websites of associations and public organizations involved in sports. Results. In 2010, 246 people died as a result of sports participation in metropolitan France. Mountain sports were the deadliest (99 deaths), followed by water sports (50), hunting (27), aviation (23, including 22 microlights), motor sports (23), and free flight sports (20, including ten in paragliding and five in gliding). Men outnumbered women seven to one. The deadliest seasons were summer and winter. Discussion. Some cases were not included in this tally, leading to an underestimation in certain sports (horseback riding, fishing, etc.) or when deaths were not immediate. This preliminary study, which requires further refinement, provided an initial count of the number of traumatic deaths in sports in mainland France.