The son of a bicycle mechanic, Charles Lanusse took to cycling at an early age and gained national attention in France prior to World War I for his talents in the sport. Following the career interrupt due to this conflict, he earned a reputation as one of the best French sprinters and captured both the European Championships and the Grand Prix de Bordeaux in 1920. He was therefore selected to represent his country at that year’s Summer Olympics, where he won his opening heat against Albert White of Great Britain and Axel Hornemann Hansen of Denmark. In round two, however, he came in second behind Britain’s Thomas Johnson, the eventual silver medalist, and was eliminated. He continued to compete for several years, winning the 1922 and 1923 Grand Prix de Bordeaux, before retiring to run a garage for automobiles, the Parc des Sports, in his native Bordeaux. He was also an able tandem cyclist and competed at a high level in that discipline as well.
France