Dave Leech

David Dower Leech (9 March 1927 – 21 October 2017) was a New Zealand hammer thrower and athletics official. He represented his country at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1997, he won a World Masters hammer throw title in the M70 category.

Early life and family Leech was born in Christchurch on 9 March 1927. He was educated at St Bede's College, and then studied at Canterbury College and Christchurch Teachers' College, becoming a primary school teacher. It was another 10 years before he won a second national, with a best throw of in 1962. He finished in seventh place with a best throw of .

Masters athletics Leech went on to be active in Masters athletics. Between 1976 and 2014, he won 20 age-group titles in the hammer throw at New Zealand Masters championships, and he won a world Masters hammer throw bronze medal in the M70 category at the 1997 World Veterans Athletics Championships.

Management At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, Carr was a New Zealand's athletics section assistant manager, and two years later he was the athletics section manager for the New Zealand team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He received a merit award from Athletics New Zealand in 1988, and was awarded life membership of Athletics Canterbury in 1988. His wife, Pat, died in 2021.