Charles Coste

Charles Coste, the French cyclist who carried the Olympic torch of history over three generations, died on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the age of 101.

Born on February 8, 1924, in Ollioules, France, Coste grew up near the Mediterranean and discovered cycling at a young age. After the disruptions of World War II, he emerged as a track-and-road rider of promise, capturing the French amateur individual pursuit championship in 1947.

In the 1948 London Olympics - the first Games held after the war - Coste, along with teammates Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson and Fernand Decanali, claimed gold in the men's team pursuit for France. That victory was a highlight of a long and distinguished life in sport.

Turning professional the same year, he achieved a major road-cycling triumph in 1949 when he won the prestigious Grand Prix des Nations time trial, besting such legends as Fausto Coppi. Over the next decade he competed in races like the Paris-Roubaix, in which he placed fourth in 1950, and the Giro d'Italia, retiring from competitive cycling later in the decade.

But beyond his results, Coste became a living link between eras. In July 2024, at 100 years old, he appeared at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, seated in a wheelchair but able to symbolically pass the torch to fellow French champions Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec. At the time of his death, Coste was recognized as the world's oldest living Olympic gold medalist.

Among his many recognitions, Coste had been awarded the French Légion d'Honneur in April 2022.

The French Sports Minister, Marina Ferrari, described his passing as "an immense sporting legacy." The office of President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to him as "until his final breath, the tireless messenger of a certain idea of sport."

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)