Mark Pharaoh

Mark Pharaoh was the 1949 AAA junior discus champion at the age of 18 but could not defend his title the following year because the Championships took place 11 days after his 19th birthday, which put him beyond the upper age limit. Pharaoh went on to study science at Manchester University before later becoming a civil engineer. His athletics career was mentored by the legendary British athletics coach John Le Masurier, the man who guided Mary Rand to her Olympic gold.

Pharaoh finished fourth in the senior AAA discus in 1951 with a UK best 43.07. However, he went on to win four of the five titles between 1952-56, and finished second to Hungary’s four-time Olympian, Ferenc Klics in 1954. Pharaoh also finished third in the AAA shot in 1953 and 1954, and second in 1955.

Internationally, Pharaoh competed in the discus at the 1952 Olympics and the following year won gold in the discus, and silver in both the shot and hammer at the Summer International University Sports Week (forerunner of the Universiade). At the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Pharaoh won a discus bronze medal. He also finished fifth in the shot and tenth in the hammer. A few weeks later, at the European Championships in Bern, Pharaoh finished 18th in the shot, and 10th in the discus. A second Olympic selection followed in 1956 and he finished fourth in the discus with a personal best of 54.27. He failed to win a medal by just 13 cm, behind three Americans. His fourth place was the best by a Briton since George Stuart Robertson’s fourth in 1896, and a position not bettered by a British discus thrower through 2016.

Personal Best: DT – 54.27 (1956).