Paul Dickenson
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Born | 4 December 1949 North Shields, Northumberland, England |
| Died | 26 November 2024 (aged 74) |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Hammer throw |
| Club | Enfield Harriers Hillingdon AC |
Derek Paul Dickenson (4 December 1949 – 26 November 2024) was an English hammer thrower who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1980 Summer Olympics.[1]
Biography
[edit]Dickenson finished second behind Adam Barnard in the hammer throw event at the 1975 AAA Championships[2] but by virtue of being the highest placed British athlete was considered the British hammer throw champion.[3]
Dickenson represented Great Britain at two consecutive Olympics, starting in 1976 in Montreal, where he finished in 14th place in the hammer throw, throwing 68.52 metres.[1]
After finishing second behind Peter Farmer at the 1978 AAA Championships,[4] he represented England in the hammer throw event, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada.[5]
His second Olympic appearance came at the 1980 Olympics Games in Moscow, where he represented Great Britain again in the hammer.[1] Two years later he represented England in the hammer throw, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia.[6][7]
A former schoolteacher, Dickenson worked in local government and the private sector before starting with BBC television. He commentated on every Olympic Games Winter and Summer from 1992 until his death. Best known for his commentary work on athletics he also worked on basketball, volleyball, weightlifting, canoe slalom, yachting, bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, cross country skiing, speed skating and ski jumping.[citation needed] He was also the lead commentator, and occasional presenter, of the BBC's coverage of the World's Strongest Man events for over a decade.[8]
Dickenson died at home on 26 November 2024, at the age of 74.[8]
Personal bests
[edit]| Distance | Mark | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hammer throw | 73.20 m | 1976 |
| Discus throw | 50.78 m | 1980 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Stewart Mystery". Sunday Mirror. 3 August 1975. Retrieved 31 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "1978 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "1982 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
- ^ a b "Former BBC athletics commentator Dickenson dies aged 74". BBC Sport. 27 November 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- sports-reference
- BBC Reference
- Master of the University honoris causa[permanent dead link]
- Sporting Heroes & Photo
- Gameshow commentary
- Paul Dickenson at Power of 10
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
- 1949 births
- 2024 deaths
- English male hammer throwers
- British male hammer throwers
- Olympic athletes for Great Britain
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics
- Commonwealth Games athletes for England
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
- Sportspeople from North Shields
- Track and field broadcasters
- BBC sports presenters and reporters