Margaret Bergmann Lambert, a world-class high jumper who was barred from competing in the German Olympic team because she was Jewish, has died.

Ms Lambert, who was born Gretel Bergmann, passed away on Tuesday at her home in Queens, New York, aged 103.

She emigrated to New York in 1937 after the Nazis “replaced” her for another competitor at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Mrs Lambert had already left Germany for the UK in 1934 after she was banned from her athletics club for being Jewish.

She had previously recorded a world record jump of 5ft 3in, having been on the German team for two years.

But, fearing a US boycott of the 1936 Olympics in Germany, the Nazi government invited her back to try out for the German team.

Two weeks before the games began, she received a letter telling her she has not qualified to be part of the Olympic team, despite setting the world record just one month previously.

Her replacement at the Olympics was Dora Ratjen, who was later revealed to be a man.

Mrs Lambert went on to become the American champion in women's high jump in 1937 and 1938 but gave up athletics when war broke out in 1939.

She married German refugee Dr Bruno Lambert in 1938, who died in 2013.

Mrs Lambert, who has sports stadiums named after her in Queens, Berlin and her hometown of Laupheim, is survived by two children, two grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.