Olympians died as two Helicopters collided

A group of French sports stars participating in a reality TV show were killed when their helicopters collided in mid-air while filming in northwestern Argentina.

Eight French passengers and the two Argentinian pilots died in the crash Among the eight passengers three were the Olympic winners.

Champion sailor Florence Arthaud, Olympic gold medalist swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine were among those killed .The accident occurred, near the town of Villa Castelli (around 1,100 km from Argentinas capital Buenos Aires), in the province of La Rioja.According to the official, the helicopters were in Villa Castelli for the filming of a documentary in the area of Quebrada del Yeso.

One of the helicopters belonged to the La Rioja provincial government and the other to the government of the neighbouring province of Santiago del Estero.Reports said the weather conditions were good and the cause of the crash, which happened just minutes after take-off, was unknown.Among dead there were two Olympian winners.

Muffat, 25, was a top swimmer at the London Olympics in 2012, bringing home three medals, including the gold in the 400-meter freestyle.Vastine, 28, won a bronze medal at the Beijing games in 2008 in the light welterweight category.

Arthaud was considered one of the best sailors in the world, a woman who conquered what had been a strictly male-dominated sport.