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Charles Coste, Oldest Living Olympian and 1948 Cycling Champion, Dies at 101

The 1948 team pursuit gold medalist later reemerged as Paris 2024’s penultimate torchbearer.

Overview

  • The French presidency said Coste died last Thursday, with the death announced publicly on Tuesday.
  • President Emmanuel Macron issued an official tribute, joined by messages from Teddy Riner and IOC president Kirsty Coventry.
  • Coste had been the oldest living Olympic champion since January following the death of Hungarian gymnast Ágnes Keleti.
  • He won men’s team pursuit gold at the 1948 London Games with the “ABCD” quartet by nearly 39 seconds, the largest margin recorded in Olympic track cycling.
  • After turning professional with Peugeot, he won the 1949 Grand Prix des Nations over Fausto Coppi, rode two Tours de France and four Giros, and later worked for La Blanchisserie de Grenelle.