The cycling champion, gold medalist at the London Olympics in team pursuit in 1948, the first post-war Games, said he was "very happy" to be made a knight of the Legion of Honor.
In the great cathedral hall of the organizing committee, in Saint-Denis, Tony Estanguet, its president, retraced the career entirely dedicated to cycling of this almost centenarian.
"I feel like one of your heirs," he told her.
Charles Coste had never received a distinction because the tradition of decorating Olympic champions did not yet exist at the time of his title.
Initiated by General de Gaulle for the Innsbruck Winter Games in 1964, the decoration of Olympic medalists meets very specific criteria.
His three teammates, Fernand Decanali, Pierre Adam and Serge Blusson died and he also dedicated this ceremony to them, describing the victorious team he was part of as "four close-knit friends".
Eager to be decorated, he had let it be known that he would like to be decorated by Tony Estanguet, whom he "always admired".
"Born in 1924 (date of the previous Olympic Games held in Paris) he will be our guest of honor", launched the boss of the next Paris Games, before sounding a Marseillaise.
Marseillaise to which Charles Coste had not been entitled in 1948 because "the English had not found the disc", explained this cycling champion, in the presence of his family.
© 2022 AFP