Farewell to a Cycling Legend: Remembering Charles Coste

French cyclist Charles Coste, revered as the world’s oldest living Olympic gold medallist, passed away at the age of 101, as announced by French media on Sunday. A national treasure, Coste clinched Olympic gold in the track cycling team pursuit event in 1948, paired alongside Pierre Adam, Serge Blusson, and Fernand Decanali.

With his passing, Coste’s title of the oldest living Olympic gold medallist follows the recent death of Hungarian artistic gymnast Agnes Keleti, who died at 103 earlier this year. Coste played a pivotal role as a torchbearer in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, underscoring his lasting legacy in French sports.

Apart from his Olympic triumphs, Coste also etched his name in cycling history by winning the 1949 Grand Prix des Nations, a grueling 140-kilometer time trial, where he remarkably outpaced the legendary Tour de France and Giro d'Italia champion, Fausto Coppi.