Mark Pharaoh
British discus thrower, shot putter, and hammer thrower (1931–2020)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mark Pharaoh (18 July 1931 – 27 April 2020)[1] was a track and field athlete, who competed in the discus throw at both the 1952 Helsinki Olympics[3] and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics where he came fourth. This has been described as by far the finest single achievement in British discus history.[4] He was also an international shot put and hammer thrower.
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| Born | 18 July 1931[1] Wandsworth, Greater London, England[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 27 April 2020 (aged 88)[2] Malvern, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | discus throw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Manchester University AC Walton AC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
Pharaoh was born 18 July 1931 and as a youth attended Manchester Grammar School where he excelled at sport and was an active member of the Gannet patrol of Troop 4 of the school's scouts. He went on to study at Manchester University.[1]
Pharaoh became the British discus throw champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1952 AAA Championships.[5][6] Shortly afterwards he represented the Great Britain team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.[7]
Pharaoh successfully retained his title at the 1953 AAA Championships.[8] He represented the English team at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Vancouver, Canada,[9] finishing fifth in the shot put. He finished second in the hammer at the 1953 Summer International University Sports Week.[10]
At the 1956 Summer Olympics, he came fourth, setting a British record of 54.27 m. in the process and missing the bronze medal by just 13 cm.[4] Pharaoh also represented Walton Athletic Club in Walton-on-Thames.[11]
Pharaoh won two more AAA titles at the 1955 AAA Championships and the 1956 AAA Championships.[12]
National titles
- AAA Championships: 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956