Roger Lebranchu, a WWII veteran and France’s oldest male Olympian, dies aged 102

By The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Roger Lebranchu, a World War II veteran who survived Nazi concentration camps and was the oldest French male Olympian, has died. He was 102.

The French Rowing Federation announced Lebranchu’s death on Friday.

A member of the French rowing team at the 1948 Olympic Games, Lebranchu was also a former member of the Resistance.

During the war, Lebranchu refused to take part in the Obligatory Labour Service and joined the Resistance in south-eastern France. He was arrested in 1943 and deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp and its annex at Schönebeck.

He managed to escape when the camp was evacuated in 1945.

After the war, Lebranchu became the French rowing champion in 1946 and 1947. He represented France at the London Games in the coxed eight, finishing fourth. He rowed until the age of 79, the federation said.

Last year, Lebranchu carried the Olympic flame as it passed through Mont-Saint-Michel ahead of the Paris Games.

To get ready for the relay, Lebranchu trained with the support of his grandson, holding up a 1.5-liter bottle of water weighing the equivalent of the Olympic torch.

In a response to a query by The Associated Press, the French Olympic Committee said that after checking with its culture department it appeared that Lebranchu was the oldest surviving male participant in the Olympic Games.

Lebranchu was also a Commander of the Legion of Honor, the rowing federation said.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports