Colette Besson, 59, Won Upset in 1968 Olympics

Colette Besson, a physical education teacher who scored an upset to win the 400-meter gold medal for France at the 1968 Olympics, died Tuesday in La Rochelle, France, of cancer. She was 59.

Besson, then a teacher from Bordeaux, beat favorite Lillian Board of Britain with a furious sprint over the last 100 meters at the Mexico City Games.

Besson, along with Nicole Duclos, Michele Mombet and Eliane Jacq, also shattered the 1,600-meter world record in 1969, shaving more than three seconds off the mark.