{{Short description|French cyclist (1924–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Charles Coste | image = Charles Coste et un buste 3D - The Dean II (2024).jpg | caption = Coste in 2024 | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|2|8|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Ollioules]], France | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|10|29|1924|2|8|df=yes}} | death_place = | awards = [[Legion of Honour]]<ref name=olympedia/> | module = {{Infobox cyclist | embed = yes | height = | weight = | currentteam = | discipline = | role = | ridertype = | amateuryears1 = | amateurteam1 = | proyears1 = | proteam1 = | majorwins = | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{FRA}}}} {{MedalSport|Men's [[cycle sport|cycling]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}} {{MedalGold| [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 London]]|[[Cycling at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's team pursuit|Team pursuit]]}} | show-medals = yes }} }}

'''Charles Coste''' (8 February 1924 – 29 October 2025) was a French [[cycle sport|cyclist]], and an Olympic champion in team pursuit from 1948.

==Biography== Coste was born in [[Ollioules]] on 8 February 1924.<ref name=olympedia>{{Cite web |title=Charles Coste |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/14004 |website=[[Olympedia]] |access-date=11 March 2025}}</ref> He won a gold medal in the [[Cycling at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's team pursuit|team pursuit]] at the [[Cycling at the 1948 Summer Olympics|1948 Summer Olympics]] in London, together with [[Fernand Decanali]], [[Pierre Adam]] and [[Serge Blusson]].<ref name=sref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/charles-coste-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195145/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/co/charles-coste-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Charles Coste |publisher=Sports-reference.com |accessdate=26 February 2012 }}</ref> He won a bronze medal in individual pursuit at the [[1948 UCI Track Cycling World Championships]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Track Cycling World Championships 2016 to 1893 |url=http://www.bikecult.com/bikecultbook/sports_trackWorlds.html |website=bikecult.com |access-date=11 March 2025}}</ref><ref name=Tchir-2025/> He finished in fourth place in the [[1950 Paris–Roubaix]].<ref name="bikeraceinfo">{{Cite web|url=http://bikeraceinfo.com/classics/paris-roubaix/pr1950.html |title=48th Paris&nbsp;– Roubaix, 1950 |accessdate=15 April 2015 |work=bikeraceinfo}}</ref>

Coste [[Centenarian|turned 100]] on 8 February 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=WEULERSSE |first=Victor |date=2024-02-08 |title=RENCONTRE. À 100 ans, Charles Coste, plus vieux champion olympique français en vie, garde la flamme |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/jeux-olympiques/rencontre-a-100-ans-charles-coste-plus-vieux-champion-olympique-francais-en-vie-garde-la-flamme-0ca55faa-c453-11ee-af40-0572f37cda9b |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=Ouest-France.fr |language=fr}}</ref>

Coste was the oldest bearer of the [[2024 Summer Olympics torch relay|2024 Summer Olympics torch]] during the opening ceremony of the games in Paris. He lit the torches of the final pair of torch bearers, fellow French gold medallists [[Marie-José Pérec]] and [[Teddy Riner]], who then lit the Olympic Cauldron.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fryer |first1=Jenna |title=Who lit the Olympic cauldron? |url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/olympics/who-lit-olympic-flame-paris-cauldron-2024/507-a5b90933-7187-4625-80b9-25ffc1ea3387 |access-date=12 August 2024 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=wkyc.com |date=27 July 2024}}</ref> He was the oldest living French Olympic medal winner and had also been born in the year Paris last hosted the Summer Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite news |title=100-Year-Old Gold Medal Cyclist Charles Coste Will Carry the Torch at the Paris Olympics |first=Micah |last=Ling |url=https://www.bicycling.com/news/a46674300/100-year-old-gold-medal-cyclist-charles-coste-will-carry-the-torch-2024-paris-olympics/ |website=bicycling.com |date=8 February 2024 |access-date=7 May 2024}}</ref> In January 2025, following the death of [[Ágnes Keleti]], he became the oldest living Olympic champion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elhunyt Keleti Ágnes ötszörös olimpiai bajnok tornász, a Nemzet Sportolója |url=https://hirado.hu/belfold/cikk/2025/01/02/elhunyt-keleti-agnes-otszoros-olimpiai-bajnok-tornasz-a-nemzet-sportoloja |website=hirado.hu |access-date=2 January 2025 |language=hu}}</ref>

After the death of French long jumper [[Yvonne Curtet]] in February 2025, Coste became the oldest living French Olympian, and the oldest survivor of the 1948 Summer Olympics.<ref name=Tchir-2025>{{cite web |last1=Tchir |first1=Paul |title=Yvonne Chabot-Curtet |url=https://olympstats.com/2025/03/04/yvonne-chabot-curtet/ |website=OlympStats |access-date=11 March 2025 |date=4 March 2025}}</ref>

Coste died on 29 October 2025, at the age of 101.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-piste/Actualites/Doyen-des-champions-olympiques-et-avant-dernier-relayeur-de-la-flamme-a-paris-2024-charles-coste-est-mort-a-101-ans/1606682 |title=Doyen des champions olympiques et avant-dernier relayeur de la flamme à Paris 2024, Charles Coste est mort à 101 ans |trans-title=The oldest living Olympic champion and second-to-last torchbearer at Paris 2024, Charles Coste, has died at the age of 101. |publisher=L'Équipe |language=fr |date=2 November 2025 |access-date=2 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2025/11/02/charles-coste-ancien-cycliste-et-doyen-mondial-des-champions-olympiques-est-mort-a-101-ans_6651158_3382.html |title=Charles Coste, ancien cycliste et doyen mondial des champions olympiques, est mort à 101 ans |trans-title=Charles Coste, former cyclist and world's oldest Olympic champion, dies at 101 |publisher=Le Monde |language=fr |date=2 November 2025 |access-date=3 November 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/14004 Charles Coste]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{sports links}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Track Team Pursuit Men}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coste, Charles}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:2025 deaths]] [[Category:People from Ollioules]] [[Category:Cyclists from Var (department)]] [[Category:Cyclists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:French male cyclists]] [[Category:French track cyclists]] [[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:French men centenarians]] [[Category:Olympic cyclists for France]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for France]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists in cycling]] [[Category:20th-century French sportsmen]]