View source for Frank Løke

{{short description|Norwegian handball player (born 1980)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox handball biography
| name                = Frank Løke
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| nationality         = Norwegian
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1980|2|6|df=y}}
| birth_place         =[[Tønsberg]], Norway
| height              = 1.93 m 
| position            =Pivot 
| currentclub         = 
| clubnumber          = 
| nationalyears1      = 2001–2011
| nationalteam1       = [[Norway men's national handball team|Norway]]
| nationalcaps1       =186 
| nationalgoals1      =646 
| ntupdate            = 
| years1       = 1998–2003
| clubs1       = [[Runar Sandefjord]]
| medaltemplates      =
|clubs2=SV Post Schwerin|years2=2003–2004|clubs3=[[FCK Håndbold]]|years3=2004–2005|clubs4=[[SG Flensburg-Handewitt]]|years4=2005–2008|clubs5=[[Grasshopper Club Zürich]] (loan)|years5=2005–2007|clubs6=ZMC Amicitia Zürich (loan)|years6=2007–2008|clubs7=ZMC Amicitia Zürich|years7=2008–2009|clubs8=[[RK Zagreb]]|years8=2009–2010|clubs9=[[TuS N-Lübbecke]] (loan)|years9=2010|clubs10=TuS N-Lübbecke|years10=2010–2015|clubs11=[[Drammen HK]]|years11=2015|clubs12=[[Runar Sandefjord]]|years12=2016}}

'''Frank Løke''' (born 6 February 1980) is a Norwegian endurance athlete, TV personality and former [[handball]] player. 

==Career==
Regarded as one of the best line players of his era, Løke played for clubs in Norway, Germany, Denmark, Croatia and Switzerland during his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=21 January 2010 |title=Balic - Løke er blant verdens beste |url=https://www.tv2.no/sport/h%C3%A5ndball/balic-loke-er-blant-verdens-beste/12584933/ |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=TV 2 |language=nb-NO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stenerud |first=Kristian |date=23 April 2009 |title=- Løke er veldig interessert |url=https://www.fvn.no/nyheter/lokalt/i/zXol4/loeke-er-veldig-interessert |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=fvn.no |language=no}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Kjellgren |first=Daniel |date=15 January 2023 |title=Mannen bak klovnemasken |url=https://www.aftenposten.no/sport/i/dwLqGq/mannen-bak-klovnemasken |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=www.aftenposten.no |language=nb}}</ref> He was capped 186 times and scored 646 goals for the [[Norway men's national handball team|Norwegian national team]], and was voted best pivot at the [[2008 European Men's Handball Championship]].<ref name=ehf>[http://www.ehf-euro.com/mens-euro-2008/teams/group-b/norway.html "Norway"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205003812/http://www.ehf-euro.com/mens-euro-2008/teams/group-b/norway.html |date=5 February 2008 }} &ndash; ''European Handbal Federation (2008)'' (Retrieved on 1 February 2008)</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 May 2013 |title=Løke på All Star Team |url=https://www.aftenposten.no/sport/i/P9Pje0/loeke-paa-all-star-team |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=www.aftenposten.no |language=nb}}</ref> Løke represented Norway at every [[IHF World Men's Handball Championship|World Championship]] and [[European Men's Handball Championship|European Championship]] between 2005 and 2011.

==Post-playing career==
Following his retirement from handball, Løke has competed in several Norwegian reality TV-shows. He competed in the Norwegian celebrity format version of ''[[The Farm (franchise)|The Farm]]'' in 2017 and ''[[Skal vi danse?]]'' in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solberg |first=Julie |date=2018-08-08 |title=Dette bildet fikk Frank Løke til å gå viralt |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/kjendis/dette-bildet-fikk-frank-loke-til-a-ga-viralt/70083701 |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=dagbladet.no |language=no}}</ref> Løke won the reality competition ''71° nord – Team'' together with partner Rikke Isaksen in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Støre |first=Maria |date=2023-04-02 |title=Frank Løke og Rikke Isaksen er vinnere «71 grader nord – team»: – Var planen hele tiden |url=https://www.vg.no/i/abaMbE |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=VG |language=no}}</ref>

Løke has participated in multiple [[ultramarathon]], [[ultra-distance cycling]], [[triathlon]] and [[quadrathlon]] competitions, including the [[Norseman triathlon|Norseman Triathlon]] and the Östhammar Adventure Race.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Guldbæk |first=Karoline |date=22 April 2023 |title=- Blodet spruta overalt |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/kjendis/blodet-spruta-overalt/79085300 |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=dagbladet.no |language=no}}</ref>

Løke climbed [[Mount Everest]] in 2021 and 2024, and [[K2]] in 2022, becoming the third Norwegian to reach the latter's [[summit]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holm |first=Rune Christoffer |date=22 July 2022 |title=Løke og Harila besteg "verdens farligste fjell" |url=https://www.nrk.no/vestfoldogtelemark/frank-loke-klarte-a-na-toppen-av-k2-1.16043735 |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=NRK |language=nb-NO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lykke |first=Emilie |date=2024-05-21 |title=Frank Løke har besteget Mount Everest |url=https://www.nrk.no/vestfoldogtelemark/frank-loke-har-besteget-mount-everest-1.16885891 |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=NRK |language=nb-NO}}</ref> 
==Personal life==
Løke's younger sister, [[Heidi Løke|Heidi]], is also a handball player, having won the Olympic gold medal, two World Championships and four European Championships with the [[Norway women's national handball team|Norwegian national team]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Norway squad 2010 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Norway squad 2011 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loke, Frank}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Norwegian male handball players]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen]]
[[Category:RK Zagreb players]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Croatia]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate handball players in Germany]]
[[Category:Expatriate handball players in Croatia]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate handball players in Denmark]]
[[Category:Expatriate handball players in Switzerland]]
[[Category:SG Flensburg-Handewitt players]]
[[Category:TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke players]]


{{Norway-handball-bio-stub}}