Malcolm Cuthbert NOKES

After many successes by Irish and Scottish hammer throwers, Malcolm Nokes was the first Englishman to reach world class status in modern times. On going up to Oxford, after winning a Military Cross in World War I, his ambitions received a setback when the hammer was dropped from the Oxbridge Sports after Nokes had won the event in 1921. He did, however, win a water polo blue in each of the four years he was at Oxford (1919-22). Nokes was the leading Briton at the AAA Championships for eight consecutive years, winning the title in 1923-26 and placing second in 1921-22 and 1927-28. He also won the hammer at the 1930 and 1934 British Empire Games. In the 1930 British Empire Games he also finished fifth in the discus throw. His third place at the 1924 Olympics is still the best performance by an Englishman at the Games, and with one of his four foul throws landing over 54.86 (180-0)m he came close to winning the gold medal. In 1923 he improved Tom Nicholson’s British record twice, and another 24 years passed before his record was beaten. He was also a leading discus thrower, placing fourth at the 1925 AAA Championships and winning the event against France in 1927. A schoolmaster by profession, he was a chemistry teacher at Malvern College and Harrow School, and in the late 1960s was the head of laboratories at the Institute of Nuclear and Applied Science in Tehran, Iran. He also played a leading role in the development of the AAA coaching scheme.

Personal Bests: DT – 38.43 (126-1) (1927); HT – 52.75 (173-1) (1923).