Godfrey Rampling
Encyclopedia
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.
, Rampling won the British AAA championships in the 440 yd (402.3 m) 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
team win the silver medal, behind the United States
.
At the 1934 British Empire Games
in London, Rampling won the 440 yd (402.3 m), and helped the English 4×440 yards relay team to capture the gold medal.
At the 1936 Berlin
Olympics
, Rampling was again fourth in the semifinals of 400 metre competition and ran the second leg in the gold medal winning British 4x400 m relay team.
Rampling was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery
, attached to NATO, until retiring in 1958 after 29 years service. His daughter Charlotte Rampling
is a noted 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, including daughter Charlotte Rampling
, on 14 May, 2009 at Bushey
in Hertfordshire
.
Rampling died in his sleep aged 100 on 20 June 2009.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
athlete and army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who competed for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
and in the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. He turned 100
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
on 14 May, 2009 and was the oldest living British Olympian.
Biography
Born in Blackheath, LondonBlackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, Rampling won the British AAA championships in the 440 yd (402.3 m) in 1931 and 1934.
At the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, 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
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
team win the silver medal, behind the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
At the 1934 British Empire Games
1934 British Empire Games
The 1934 British Empire Games were the second of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games. They were held at the White City Stadium in London, England from 4–11 August 1934, apart from the cycling at Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester, and the swimming, which took place at the Empire Pool in Wembley...
in London, Rampling won the 440 yd (402.3 m), and helped the English 4×440 yards relay team to capture the gold medal.
At the 1936 Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Rampling was again fourth in the semifinals of 400 metre competition and ran the second leg in the gold medal winning British 4x400 m relay team.
Rampling was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, attached to NATO, until retiring in 1958 after 29 years service. His daughter Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
is a noted film actress. He was, as of October 2007, the last surviving male athletics medallist from the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
and the last male gold medallist in athletics from the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
.
Rampling was Britain's oldest living Olympic Gold medallist and also oldest living Olympic competitor. He celebrated his centenary with his family, including daughter Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
, on 14 May, 2009 at Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
Rampling died in his sleep aged 100 on 20 June 2009.