Godfrey Rampling
Rampling in 1934 | ||
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's athletics | ||
Representing Great Britain | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1936 Berlin | 4×400 metres | |
1932 Los Angeles | 4×400 metres | |
Representing England | ||
British Empire Games | ||
1934 London | 440 yards | |
1934 London | 4×440 yards |
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 Blackheath, London, the son of Gertrude Anne (Taylor) and Horace Johnson Rampling, a costumier.[1] Rampling won the British AAA championships in the 440 yd (400 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 (400 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 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]
References
- ^ Holt, Richard (2013) [2013]. "Rampling, Godfrey Lionel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/102161. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b c Oldest British Olympian turns 100
- ^ Wintle, Angela (9 June 2017). "Charlotte Rampling: 'I cannot explain it but I have never visited the cemetery where my sister is buried'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ British Olympic Association: Oldest British Olympian Celebrates 100th Birthday[permanent dead link]
- ^ Telegraph.co.uk.: Britain's oldest Olympian Godfrey Rampling dies aged 100
External links
- Godfrey Rampling at Olympics.com
- Godfrey Rampling at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Godfrey Rampling – Guardian obituary
- Article on Godfrey Rampling's forthcoming 100th birthday
- IAAF Obituary
- v
- t
- e
- 1908: William Hamilton, Nathaniel Cartmell, John Taylor, Mel Sheppard (USA)
- 1912: Mel Sheppard, Edward Lindberg, Ted Meredith, Charles Reidpath (USA)
- 1920: Cecil Griffiths, Robert Lindsay, John Ainsworth-Davis, Guy Butler (GBR)
- 1924: Commodore Cochran, Alan Helffrich, Oliver Macdonald, William Stevenson (USA)
- 1928: George Baird, Emerson Spencer, Fred Alderman, Ray Barbuti (USA)
- 1932: Ivan Fuqua, Ed Ablowich, Karl Warner, Bill Carr (USA)
- 1936: Freddie Wolff, Godfrey Rampling, Bill Roberts, Godfrey Brown (GBR)
- 1948: Arthur Harnden, Cliff Bourland, Roy Cochran, Mal Whitfield (USA)
- 1952: Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden (JAM)
- 1956: Charles Jenkins Sr., Lou Jones, Jesse Mashburn, Tom Courtney (USA)
- 1960: Jack Yerman, Earl Young, Glenn Davis, Otis Davis (USA)
- 1964: Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee, Ulis Williams, Henry Carr (USA)
- 1968: Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman, Larry James, Lee Evans (USA)
- 1972: Charles Asati, Munyoro Nyamau, Robert Ouko, Julius Sang (KEN)
- 1976: Herman Frazier, Benny Brown, Fred Newhouse, Maxie Parks (USA)
- 1980: Remigijus Valiulis, Mikhail Linge, Nikolay Chernetskiy, Viktor Markin (URS)
- 1984: Sunder Nix, Ray Armstead, Alonzo Babers, Antonio McKay (USA)
- 1988: Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Butch Reynolds, Antonio McKay, Andrew Valmon (USA)
- 1992: Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis, Darnell Hall, Charles Jenkins Jr. (USA)
- 1996: LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan Maybank, Jason Rouser (USA)
- 2000: Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Nduka Awazie, Fidelis Gadzama (NGR)
- 2004: Otis Harris, Derrick Brew, Jeremy Wariner, Darold Williamson, Andrew Rock, Kelly Willie (USA)
- 2008: LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, Reggie Witherspoon (USA)
- 2012: Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu, Ramon Miller (BAH)
- 2016: Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, Gil Roberts, LaShawn Merritt, Kyle Clemons, David Verburg (USA)
- 2020: Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Rai Benjamin, Trevor Stewart, Randolph Ross, Vernon Norwood (USA)