Now 98 years old, and Olympic champion in track cycling at the London Games in 1948, Charles Coste will receive this Wednesday the Legion of Honor from the hands of Tony Estanguet. While today Olympic champions almost automatically have access to the Legion of Honor, this was not the case under the VIand Republic.
No Legion of Honor in the event of a court conviction
It was General De Gaulle who initiated this practice for the Innsbruck Winter Games in 1964.
Here are the rules that govern decorations:
– If the sportsman or sportswoman participates for the first time in the Games, he is made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in the event of a gold medal and a Knight of the National Order of Merit for silver or bronze.
– If he again wins a gold medal at subsequent Games, the sportsman is promoted to officer of the Legion of Honor, on condition that he has at least eight years of seniority in the rank of knight. If this is not the case, he is made an officer of the National Order of Merit.
– For the reissue of a silver or bronze medal, or if the result is lower, no promotion is granted.
– But beware: are not eligible, for example, athletes who have received a conviction from the justice system registered in the criminal record.
Note that athletes can obtain the Legion of Honor other than by having shone at the Olympics. This is for example the case of the players of the French football teams 1998 and 2018 after the two titles of world champions.