The original of this athlete would have been bronze, and like most Greek bronzes, has not survived. Fortunately the Romans made a number of copies in marble from the Greek original.

This particular copy has an incorrectly restored head. It was common in the eighteenth century to “restore” ancient sculptures without paying too much attention to whether the restored parts really belonged together. The bronze original had its head turned to look back at the discus, as do other more accurate copies, such as the one now in the Vatican. The head was expertly though incorrectly attached in 1792 by a well-known restorer called Albacini for his patron, Charles Townley