{{short description|British athlete}} {{use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Norman Drake | full_name = | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | sport = Athletics | event = Hammer throw | club = Sutton-in-Ashfield Harriers<br>Doncaster LNER | birth_date = {{birth date|1912|7|7|df=yes}} | birth_place = Retford, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1972|11|16|1912|7|7|df=yes}} | death_place = Blackpool, England | height = | weight = }}
'''Norman Percy Drake''' (7 July 1912 – 16 November 1972) was a British athlete who competed in the men's hammer throw at the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 1948 Summer Olympics.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/dr/norman-drake-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418003420/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/dr/norman-drake-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Norman Drake Olympic Results |access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
== Biography == Drake represented England at the 1934 British Empire Games in the hammer throw.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/london-1934/athletes |title=London 1934 Team |website=Team England |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref>
Drake became the national hammer throw champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1936 AAA Championships<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19360711/173/0006 |title=AAA Championships begin |work=Western Mail |date=11 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19360713/473/0017 |title=Wooderson wins again |work=Daily Herald |date=13 July 1936 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref> and finished second behind Bert Healion in the hammer throw event at the 1939 AAA Championships<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000619/19390708/443/0016 |title=Athletics |work=Birmingham Daily Post |date=8 July 1939 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=19 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19390710/316/0011 |title=British Athletic Prestige enhanced in AAA Championships |work=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=10 July 1939 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=19 January 2025 }}</ref> before his career was interrupted by World War II.
After World War II, Drake finished second behind Hans Houtzager at the 1946 AAA Championships<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19460720/064/0004 |title=Swede first to win AAA title |work=Daily Herald |date=20 July 1946 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19460722/122/0004 |title=AAA results |work=Daily News (London) |date=22 July 1946 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref> before winning a final hammer throw AAA title at the 1948 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19480703/069/0004 |title=Mac Bailey Runs Two Fast 220's |work=Daily News (London) |date=3 July 1948 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19480705/085/0005 |title=Won AAA titles |work=Daily Herald |date=5 July 1948 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=18 January 2025 }}</ref>
He was part of the England team at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, where he competed in the hammer and shot put.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/38605|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=20 July 2019|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412120041/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/38605|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1950/athletes|title=1950 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref>
In 1951 Drake won his final Northern title (he had won the title every year since 1934) and went on to become a hammer throw coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69018 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{sports links}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Norman}} Category:1912 births Category:1972 deaths Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics Category:British men hammer throwers Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Sportspeople from Retford Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for England Category:English men hammer throwers Category:20th-century English sportsmen
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