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Charles Coste, 101, French Olympic Champion and Paris 2024 Torchbearer, Dies

Tributes from Paris 2024 leaders highlight how his late-life torch role reframed a forgotten 1948 champion.

Overview

  • France's sports minister Marina Ferrari confirmed that Coste died on October 30 at the age of 101.
  • The former track cyclist was the penultimate torchbearer at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, passing the flame to Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner.
  • A discreet burial is planned for November 7 at Levallois-Perret, honoring his family's wishes for privacy.
  • Reports state he died peacefully in his sleep, months after becoming the world's oldest living Olympic champion following Agnes Keleti's death.
  • Coste won team-pursuit gold at the 1948 London Games and received the Légion d'honneur in 2022, with Tony Estanguet and Teddy Riner among those paying tribute to his legacy.