Background
Rampling was born in Blackheath, London, the son of Gertrude Anne (Taylor) and Horace Johnson Rampling, a costumier.
Rampling was born in Blackheath, London, the son of Gertrude Anne (Taylor) and Horace Johnson Rampling, a costumier.
He turned 100 on 14 May 2009 and was the oldest living British Olympian. 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 4 × 400 m relay team Rampling was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery, attached to North Atlantic Treaty Organization, until retiring in 1958 after 29 years service.
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 in Hertfordshire.
Rampling died in his sleep aged 100 on 20 June 2009.