Perri Shakes-Drayton

Peirresha Alexandra Shakes-Drayton (born 21 December 1988) is a British retired track and field athlete. After specialising in the 400 metres hurdles in the early part of her career, a knee injury at the 2013 World Championships forced Shakes-Drayton to concentrate on the 400 metres on her return to athletics.[2] She is the 2013 European Indoor Champion in the 400 metres and won a 2012 World Indoor Championship gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay. She has also won silver and bronze medals in the 4 × 400 m relay at the World Championships.

Perri Shakes-Drayton
Perri Shakes-Drayton in 2010
Personal information
Born (1988-12-21) 21 December 1988[1]
London, England
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
Country Great Britain
SportWomen's athletics
ClubTower Hamlets and Victoria Park Harriers
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2017 London4 × 400 m
Bronze medal – third place2011 Daegu4 × 400 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2012 Istanbul4 × 400 m
Bronze medal – third place2010 Doha4 × 400 m
Diamond League
Silver medal – second place2012400 m hurdles
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place2010 Barcelona400 m hurdles
Silver medal – second place2010 Barcelona4 × 400 m
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2013 Gothenburg400 m
Gold medal – first place2013 Gothenburg4 × 400 m
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place2009 Kaunas400 m hurdles
European Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2007 Hengelo400 m hurdles

In 2018, Shakes-Drayton took part in the tenth series of the ITV show Dancing on Ice.

Personal life

Shakes-Drayton was born in east London to Christian parents from Grenada, and grew up in Bow, where she continues to reside.[3] She attended Holy Family R.C. Primary School in Poplar and Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School in Stepney.[3] She studied sports science at Brunel University,[3] where she graduated with a 2:1. She married high-jump athlete Mike Olayemi Edwards in London in June 2019. Shakes welcomed her first child with Edwards on 26 August 2020.[4]

Athletics career
Shakes-Drayton (lane 2) at the 2010 Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague, where she finished second in 55.28 s.

Shakes-Drayton came to prominence at the English Schools Championships where she set a UK junior record time in the 400 m hurdles.[5] She made her first major international appearance at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics where she finished eighth, achieving a new personal best of 57.52 seconds.[6] She took the silver medal at the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships with a time of 56.46 s, a national junior record in the event.[7][8]

Shakes-Drayton won the 400 m hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games GB trials, but veteran Tasha Danvers was instead chosen to represent Great Britain, and went on to win the bronze medal.[9] Despite the non-selection, Shakes-Drayton was considered to be a medal prospect for the next Olympics in 2012.[6] At the 2009 British Championships in Birmingham, she finished second in the 400 metres behind reigning world champion Christine Ohuruogu, setting a new personal best. Further success came on the junior circuit at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships, where she won the 400 m hurdles gold medal with a run of 55.26 seconds, another personal best. Having secured a place on the Great Britain team, she set her sights on the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, remarking: "I like people talking about me. It means I must be doing some things right. Now I have to live up to the hype because hype is pointless if you don't live up to it."[10]

She ran at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin and reached the semi-finals of the competition. However, she finished seventh in the race with a time of 57.57 seconds and did not compete in the final. She ran a personal best of 54.91 seconds for the 400 m hurdles to win at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo in June 2010.[11]

In the absence of Tasha Danvers, Shakes-Drayton and Eilidh Child were the sole representatives for Great Britain at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. Shakes-Drayton finished 2nd in her heat, with a time of 55.35. She then finished 3rd in her semi-final to qualify for the final in a new personal best of 54.73. In the final she finished third to win the bronze medal with a new personal best of 54.18.

Perri Shakes-Drayton after winning a 400 m match during the 2013 Loughborough International Athletics

At the 2012 London Grand Prix, the final Diamond League meeting prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games, Shakes-Drayton recorded another personal best for the 400 m hurdles of 53.77, a time that put her second in the world rankings for the year and also made her the second-fastest British athlete of all time in the event, behind only Sally Gunnell.[12] However, in the Olympic 400 m hurdles she was unable to reach the final, finishing third in her semi-final heat.[13] She was also part of the GB 4 × 400 m relay team which finished fifth in the final of that event.[14]

At the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Shakes-Drayton went on to win gold in the Women's 400 m final with a Personal Best of 50.85, ahead of another Great Britain runner Eilidh Child. She was also part of the Women's 4 × 400 m team (along with Eilidh Child, Shana Cox and Christine Ohuruogu) that won gold at the same championships.[15]

In 2020, she announced her retirement from her athletics career.[16]

Personal bests
Event Time (sec) Location Date
60 metres 7.44 London, United Kingdom 18 January 2009[17]
400 metres 50.50 Gateshead, United Kingdom 22 June 2013[18]
400 metres hurdles 53.67 London, United Kingdom 26 July 2013
400 metres (indoor) 50.85 Gothenburg, Sweden 3 March 2013

References
  1. Biography Shakes-Drayton Perri. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-03-13.
  2. Knee injury forces Perri Shakes-Drayton to switch from 400 metres hurdles to running one lap on the flat Telegraph. 02-12-2013. Retrieved 13-07-2014.
  3. Fahy, Dylan (3 August 2012). "Team GB hurdler Perri Shakes-Drayton pledges to 'run her heart out'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  4. "BBNaija's Mike Edwards And Wife Perri Welcome First Child". 27 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  5. Kervin, Alison (2 March 2009).Olympics: Great Britain's female medal hopes begin to feel the pressure. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2009-03-13.
  6. future Olympics stars. Time Out (23 July 2007). Retrieved on 2009-03-13.
  7. European Athletics Junior Championships – Medallists by Event.European Athletic Association. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  8. European Athletics Junior Championships – Records Set. European Athletic Association. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  9. "Britain's Tasha Danvers wins 400m hurdles bronze". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020.
  10. Majendie, Matt (24 July 2009).Perri Shakes-Drayton is promising to live up to the hype. London Evening Standard. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.
  11. Sampaolo, Diego (13 June 2010).Kaki scorches 1:43.48, Robles improves to 13.08 in Turin. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-06-14.
  12. "Scots star Eilidh Child blown away by 400m hurdles rival Perri Shakes-Drayton at Diamond League meeting". Daily Record. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  13. "London 2012 hurdles: Perri Shakes-Drayton loses final place". BBC Sport. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  14. "4x400m relay: USA win fifth successive Olympic title". BBC Sport. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  15. "Perri Shakes-Drayton wins double gold in European Indoors". BBC Sport. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  16. "Perri Shakes-Drayton announces retirement". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  17. Stars of 2009: Perri Shakes Drayton. BBC Sport (20 February 2009). Retrieved on 2009-03-13.
  18. "Bolt over Powell, Idowu tops world list, Felix goes sub-50". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
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