Charles Coste, Olympic champion and penultimate torchbearer of the Paris Olympics, died on the age of 101 | EUROtoday

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IIt was one of the vital placing photographs of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, in the summertime of 2024. In a wheelchair, Charles Coste was the penultimate torchbearer, simply earlier than Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner. The oldest Olympic champion died in his sleep this Thursday, October 30, on the age of 101, signifies The Parisian this Sunday.

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The funeral will probably be organized this Friday, November 7 on the Levallois-Perret cemetery. Before dying, he requested his family members for a discreet ceremony, studies the each day. “There have been too many crowds around me lately,” he declared.

A dream come true at 100 years outdated

77 years in the past, in 1948, he was topped Olympic group pursuit champion in observe biking on the London Olympics. But with Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson and Fernand Decanali, Charles Coste didn’t have the chance to listen to the Marseillaise after receiving the gold medal. “We waited, and at one point we were told: ‘You can go down, because we didn’t find the disk,’” he mentioned in early 2024 to West France.

This will probably be his one and solely participation within the Games. But not his solely medal on the worldwide scene. The identical yr, he gained the bronze medal within the newbie pursuit on the world championship in Amsterdam. Subsequently, he gained just a few nationwide titles (Grand Prix des Nations in 1949, Paris-Limoges in 1953), participated twice within the Tour de France in 1953 and 1957 (two untimely retirements). He acquired the Legion of Honor in 2022 from Tony Estanguet.

Sport due to this fact adopted him till the tip of his life. Because he dreamed of having the ability to take part within the opening ceremony of the Parisian version. “Will I have the chance to be there? Maybe it won’t depend on me. Apart from this bad knee, I’m lucky to be in good shape because in my life, I haven’t done too much abuse. It would be great,” he talked about in February 2024 to The Team.


https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/charles-coste-champion-olympique-et-avant-dernier-relayeur-des-jo-de-paris-est-mort-a-l-age-de-101-ans-02-11-2025-2602259_23.php

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