# Mark Pharaoh

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{{Short description|British discus thrower, shot putter, and hammer thrower (1931–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Mark Pharaoh
|image = 
|caption = 
|birth_date = {{birth date|1931|7|18|df=y}}<ref name="sport"/>
|birth_place = [Wandsworth](/source/Wandsworth), Greater London, England<ref name="sport"/>
|death_date = {{death date and age|2020|4|27|1931|7|18|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Olympedia – Mark Pharaoh |url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69388 |website=[Olympedia](/source/Olympedia) |access-date=2 January 2021}}</ref>
| death_place = Malvern, England
| sport= [track and field](/source/track_and_field)
| event       = discus throw
| club        = Manchester University AC<br>[Walton AC](/source/Walton_AC)
| height      =190 cm
| weight      = 95 kg
|medaltemplates=
{{Medal|Sport|Men's [athletics](/source/athletics_(sport))}}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[World Student Games](/source/Universiade)}}
{{Medal|Gold  | [1953 Dortmund](/source/1953_Summer_International_University_Sports_Week) | Discus throw}}
{{Medal|Silver  | [1953 Dortmund](/source/1953_Summer_International_University_Sports_Week) | Shot put}}
{{Medal|Silver  | [1953 Dortmund](/source/1953_Summer_International_University_Sports_Week) | Hammer throw}}
{{Medal|Country | {{ENG}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[Commonwealth Games](/source/Commonwealth_Games)}}
{{Medal|Bronze  | [1954 Vancouver](/source/1954_British_Empire_and_Commonwealth_Games) | Discus throw}}
}}

'''Mark Pharaoh''' (18 July 1931 &ndash; 27 April 2020)<ref name="sport"/> was a [track and field](/source/track_and_field) athlete, who competed in the [discus throw](/source/discus_throw) at both the 1952 Helsinki Olympics<ref>[http://www.olympics.org.uk/athleterecord.aspx?at=2488 Profile at British Olympic Association]</ref> and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics where he came fourth. This has been described as by far the finest single achievement in British discus history.<ref name="rank">[http://www.mikewinch.co.uk/Squad%20docs/AW%20SP%20DT%20ranks.pdf UK ALL-TIME RANKINGS ''Top spot for Capes and Tancred'', MEL WATMAN rates the top British shot and discus throwers of all time, according to championship and record performances] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308065324/http://www.mikewinch.co.uk/Squad%20docs/AW%20SP%20DT%20ranks.pdf |date=8 March 2012 }}</ref> He was also an international [shot put](/source/shot_put) and [hammer thrower](/source/hammer_thrower).

== Biography ==
Pharaoh was born 18 July 1931 and as a youth attended [Manchester Grammar School](/source/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](/source/Manchester_University).<ref name="sport">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041016/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ph/mark-pharaoh-1.html Profile at sports-reference.com]</ref>

Pharaoh became the [British discus throw champion](/source/List_of_British_champions_in_discus_throw) after winning the British [AAA Championships](/source/AAA_Championships) title at the [1952 AAA Championships](/source/1952_AAA_Championships).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19520623/190/0007 |title=Results |work=The Scotsman |date=23 June 1952 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000272/19520621/008/0008 |title=AAA walk record by Hardy |work=Manchester Evening News |date=21 June 1952 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref> Shortly afterwards he represented the [Great Britain team](/source/Great_Britain_at_the_1952_Summer_Olympics) at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.<ref name=oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69388 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>

Pharaoh successfully retained his title at the [1953 AAA Championships](/source/1953_AAA_Championships).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref> He represented the [English team](/source/England_at_the_1954_British_Empire_and_Commonwealth_Games) at the [1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games](/source/1954_British_Empire_and_Commonwealth_Games) held in Vancouver, Canada,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19540622/094/0005 |title=England pick strong team for Empire Games |work=Halifax Evening Courier |date=22 June 1954 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref> finishing fifth in the shot put. He finished second in the hammer at the [1953 Summer International University Sports Week](/source/1953_Summer_International_University_Sports_Week).<ref name="worldstudent">[http://www.gbrathletics.com/bm/wsg.htm British Medallists at the WORLD STUDENT GAMES (UNIVERSIADE)]</ref>

At the [1956 Summer Olympics](/source/1956_Summer_Olympics), he came fourth, setting a [British record](/source/British_records_in_athletics) of 54.27 m. in the process and missing the bronze medal by just 13&nbsp;cm.<ref name="rank"/> Pharaoh also represented Walton Athletic Club in [Walton-on-Thames](/source/Walton-on-Thames).<ref>[http://www.waltonac.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=3 Walton AC at the Commonwealth Games]</ref>

Pharaoh won two more AAA titles at the [1955 AAA Championships](/source/1955_AAA_Championships) and the [1956 AAA Championships](/source/1956_AAA_Championships).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>

== National titles ==
*AAA Championships: 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Footer British NC Discus Men}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pharaoh, Mark}}
Category:1931 births
Category:2020 deaths
Category:Athletes from Manchester
Category:People from Wandsworth
Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Wandsworth
Category:English men discus throwers
Category:British men discus throwers
Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
Category:Medallists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:People educated at Manchester Grammar School
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mark Pharaoh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Pharaoh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Pharaoh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.