About Pierre Brésolles
Lived 1929 – 2018 (aged 88). Pierre Brésolles was a French sprinter.
Pierre Joseph Brésoles, born Claire Brésolles, (10 November 1929 – 13 January 2018) was a French runner who ran the 100 metre and 200 metre races. In the 1950s, Pierre came out as a trans man.
Life Pierre grew up in Occitanie, with his speed being noted when he was a teenager. As a 15 year old he broke French record for the 400 metres. He joined the French national team around 1946, around the same time as his main opponent, Léon Caurla (who later also proved to be a trans man). Their first competition together was 1946 European Athletics Championships in Oslo, in relay with Anne-Marie Colchen and Monique Drilhon. The team broke the French record and won the silver medal. Pierre also won third in the 100-meter sprint, breaking the French record.
While some modern American biographies, such as the one by Eli Erlick, have presented Léon and Pierre as lovers,
Pierre came out as a trans man a month after the 1946 championships, and Léon did the same later, in 1947. They were recruited for the 1948 Summer Olympics, but they refused to undergo sex verification.
Pierre began his medical transition in 1948 and by 1949 he was finished with gender-affirming surgeries, attracting media attention. After that, he joined AS Carcassonne, playing as a wing three-quarter. He earned two bachelor's degrees in history and geography at University of Toulouse. Later in life he became a farmer, got married and started a family.
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Important facts
People in Pierre Brésolles's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Pierre Brésolles's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Pierre Brésolles?
French sprinter (1929-2018)
When was Pierre Brésolles born?
Pierre Brésolles was born on 10 November 1929 in Narbonne.
When did Pierre Brésolles die?
Pierre Brésolles died on 13 January 2018 in Prades.
What was Pierre Brésolles's occupation?
Pierre Brésolles was a sprinter.
What nationality was Pierre Brésolles?
Pierre Brésolles was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pierre Brésolles. https://biography.guide/pierre-bresolles/
MLA: "Pierre Brésolles." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pierre-bresolles/.
Chicago: "Pierre Brésolles." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pierre-bresolles/.
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