Godfrey Lionel Rampling (14 May 1909 – 20 June 2009) was an English athlete and army officer who competed for Great Britain 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
AAA
championships in the 440 yd (400 m) in 1931 and 1934.
At the
individual 400 metre event and didn't reach the final, but ran the anchor leg to help the British 4 × 400 m relay team win the silver medal, behind the United States
.
At the 1934 British Empire Games in London, Rampling won the 440 yd (400 m), and helped the English 4×440 yards relay team to capture the gold medal.
At the 1936
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, attached to NATO, until retiring in 1958 after 29 years service.[2]
He married Isabel Anne (née Gurteen; 1918–2001); their younger daughter Charlotte became a noted model and film actress. Their eldest daughter Sarah committed suicide in 1967.[3]
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[2] and also oldest living Olympic competitor.[4] He celebrated his centenary with his family on 14 May 2009 at Bushey in Hertfordshire.[2]
Rampling died in his sleep aged 100 on 20 June 2009.[5]
Great Britain
England
