Eight French nationals and their two Argentine pilots died when two helicopters collided in La Rioja province in the country's north-west.
"The sudden death of our fellow French nationals is a cause of immense sadness," said a statement from French President Francois Hollande.
Camille Muffat, 25, won three medals, including gold in the 400m freestyle in the 2012 London Olympics. She retired from competitive swimming in 2014.
Alexis Vastine, 28, won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the light-welterweight category. He was narrowly beaten in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Games.
Florence Arthaud, 57, was a hugely accomplished sailor, winning the 1990 Route du Rhum, the prestigious solo Atlantic race. A serious car accident put her in a coma when she was 17.
The helicopters were filming Dropped, a popular celebrity show on the channel TF1.
The show flies celebrities into rough terrains by helicopter and films their attempts to find food and shelter.
One of the contestants, former France and Arsenal footballer Sylvain Wiltord, tweeted:
"I'm sad for my friends, I'm trembling, I'm horrified, I have no words, I don't want to say anything."The cause of the crash is unclear. Officials have said the weather conditions in the mountainous area where the helicopters went down were good.
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