Godfrey Lionel Rampling (14 May 1909 – 20 June 2009) was an

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athlete and

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officer who competed for

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in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He turned 100 on 14 May 2009 and was the oldest living British Olympian at the time of his death.

Life and career

Rampling was born in

Blackheath, London Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located northeast of Lewisham, south of Greenwich, London, Greenwich and southeast of Charing Cross, ...

, the son of Gertrude Anne (Taylor) and Horace Johnson Rampling, a costumier. Rampling won the British

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championships in the in 1931 and 1934. At the 1932 Summer Olympics, Rampling was fourth in his semifinal in the individual 400 metre event and didn't reach the final, but ran the anchor leg to help the British 4 × 400 m

relay A relay Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off A relay is an electrically operated switch ...

team win the silver medal, behind the

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. At the

1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events we ...

in London, Rampling won the , and helped the English 4×440 yards relay team to capture the gold medal. At the 1936

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Olympics, Rampling was again fourth in the semifinals of 400 metre competition and ran the second leg on the British 4 × 400 m relay team which won the gold medal. Rampling was a Lieutenant Colonel in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

, attached to

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, until retiring in 1958 after 29 years service.Oldest British Olympian turns 100
/ref> He married Isabel Anne (née Gurteen; 1918–2001); their daughter

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became a noted model and film actress. He was, as of October 2007, the last surviving male athletics medallist from the 1932 Summer Olympics and the last male gold medallist in athletics from the 1936 Summer Olympics. Rampling was Britain's oldest living Olympic Gold medallist and also oldest living Olympic competitor. He celebrated his centenary with his family on 14 May 2009 at

Bushey Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. It has a population of over 25,000 inhabitants. Bushey Heath is a large neighbourhood south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow ...

in Hertfordshire. Rampling died in his sleep aged 100 on 20 June 2009.Telegraph.co.uk.: Britain's oldest Olympian Godfrey Rampling dies aged 100
/ref>

References

External links

* *
Godfrey Rampling
– Guardian obituary

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rampling, Godfrey 1909 births 2009 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Men centenarians English centenarians English male sprinters Olympic athletes of Great Britain English Olympic medallists Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain Athletes from London People from Blackheath, London Royal Artillery officers Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) British Army personnel of World War II