Charles Coste, the French cyclist who won Olympic gold in London in 1948 and later became the world’s oldest living Olympic champion, has died at the age of 101.
A quiet hero of French sport, Coste only found fame late in life when his Olympic story came full circle at the Paris 2024 Games.
France’s Sports Minister, Marina Ferrari, announced his passing on Sunday, calling him a man who left “an immense sporting legacy”.
For many, Coste only became a household name in France last summer. during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games, the centenarian appeared in a wheelchair to pass the Olympic flame to judo champion Teddy Riner and track sprinter Marie-José Pérec – an emotional moment that resonated across the country.
The French Olympic Committee hailed it as “an image full of emotion that will remain forever in Olympic memory”.
Born on 8 February 1924 in Ollioules, near Toulon, Coste had been the doyen of Olympic champions since the death of Hungarian gymnast Ágnes Keleti earlier this year. He was also the last surviving member of the French team that won gold in the track cycling pursuit at the London Games of 1948 – the first Olympics held after the Second World War.
“I used to tell my mother when I was ten or twelve that I’d either be a general or an Olympic champion,” he recalled with a smile in a 2024 interview. “It turned out to be the latter.”
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A life shaped by war and wheels
Cycling entered Coste’s life almost by accident. As a boy, he would watch the greats of the 1930s Tour de France – Antonin Magne, Georges Speicher and André Leducq – whizz past the family vineyard in Ollioules.
He began racing in regional events as a teenager, showing promise before the Second World War interrupted everything.
During the war, his parents enrolled him as an apprentice fitter at the naval arsenal in Toulon. But once peace returned, Coste joined the famed Vélo Club de Levallois – a breeding ground for French cycling talent – and quickly found his stride on the track.
In 1947 he won his only national title, in the individual pursuit, and was made captain of the French pursuit team for the London Olympics a year later.
Crossing the Channel by ferry, Coste and his teammates Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson and Fernand Decanali – nicknamed the “ABCD” – stayed at a US Air Force camp in a bombed-out London suburb.
Against the odds, they beat the home favourites in the semi-finals and went on to defeat Italy in the final to claim gold.
“There was just a tiny podium back then,” he once laughed. “They gave us our medals in little boxes, not around the neck like today. And then they told us, ‘Sorry, no Marseillaise – we couldn’t find the record!’”
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From shadow to spotlight
After his Olympic triumph, Coste was received at the Élysée Palace by President Vincent Auriol along with the other French medallists. Yet for decades he slipped quietly into obscurity, his story largely forgotten as newer champions rose to fame.
He turned professional, winning the Grand Prix des Nations in 1949 – a now-defunct but once-prestigious time trial event – beating his friend and rival Fausto Coppi. “Unfortunately for him, he was tired that day,” Coste would say modestly.
He also claimed victory in Paris-Limoges in 1953, but never found success in the Grand Tours, retiring after several attempts at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
Recognition came late. In 2022, at the age of 98, he finally received the Légion d’honneur from Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 organising committee. “We are losing the doyen of French sport, a true gentleman,” Estanguet said in tribute. “It was an honour to present him with the Légion d’honneur and to invite him to carry the flame for Paris 2024.”
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A flame that kept burning
Even at 100, Coste remained remarkably spirited. Speaking in early 2024, he said he was “proud” to have been chosen to carry the Olympic flame.
“I’m hindered by my knees, but I’ll try to hold it for a few metres,” he said cheerfully.
He also confessed to still following the sport closely. “We have good riders in France – especially [Julien] Alaphilippe. He’s a fighter who always tries to be in the break.”
French judo star Riner paid tribute on Instagram, describing Coste as a man who embodied “commitment, respect and love of sport in all its forms”.
Pérec, more simply, posted a photo of their unforgettable handover at the Paris ceremony.
(with newswires)
