Paul Drayton (athlete)

Otis Paul Drayton (May 8, 1939 – March 2, 2010) was an American sprint runner.

Paul Drayton

Paul Drayton (left) at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Born	May 8, 1939 Glen Cove, New York, U.S.
Died	March 2, 2010 (aged 70) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Sport	Sprint running
Club	U.S. Army Villanova Wildcats
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 yd – 9.3 (1961) 100 m – 10.2 (1962) 200 m – 20.55 (1962) 440 yd – 47.2 (1964)
Medal record Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1964 Tokyo 4 × 100 m relay 1964 Tokyo 200 m

Career

He was an AAU champion in the 220 yd (200 m) sprint from 1961 to 1963. In 1961, he was a member of the world record of 39.1 seconds setting American 4 × 100 m relay team, and equaled the 200 m world record of 20.5 s in 1962. At the 1964 Olympics, Drayton won a silver medal in the 200 m and ran the opening leg for the gold medal-winning American 4 × 100 m relay team, which set a world record at 39.06 seconds.^[1]

Pathe Highlights of 1964 Olympic Trials @1:20 Video on YouTube

In retirement, Drayton lived with his wife near Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked as deputy project director for the city's Division of Recreation and then at the sheriff's department.^[1] He died on March 2, 2010, of a pulmonary embolism following cancer surgery.^[2]