Charles Lelong

Charles Lelong attended the National Vocational School in Nantes. While there, he co-founded a sports club in 1907 and started to play rugby. Two years later he switched to athletics after becoming a member of the Union Sportive Rennes. Lelong had a spectacular debut winning four events - 110 m hurdles and three jumping events - at the championships of Brittany.

In 1910, he earned his first podium at French championships placing third in the 100 m dash, a feat he repeated in 1912 and 1914. After a third place in the 400 metres in 1911, Lelong won his only national title in 1912 in the 400 m. He also won a bronze medal in the 100 m dash. Subsequently, he was selected to compete at the Stockholm Olympics. While failing to advance to the second round in the 100 m and 200 m, he reached the semifinal in the 400 m. His best result was the silver medal in the 4x400 metres relay behind the United States, who won in world record time. In 3:20.7 the French team, Charles Lelong, Robert Schürrer, Pierre Failliot and Charles Poulenard, set the first official national record.

For his club US Rennes Lelong also played football and acted as general commissioner of the Moncontour horse race course. His athletic career was terminated by the military service in World War I. By profession Lelong was a divisional inspector for the SNCF, the French national state-owned railway company.

Personal Bests: 100 – unknown; 200 – unknown; 400 – 50.2 (1912).