Mykolas Alekna

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Mykolas Alekna
2022-08-19 European Championships 2022 - Men's Discus Throw by Sandro Halank-009.jpg
Alekna in Munich 2022
Personal information
NationalityLithuanian
Born (2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22)
Vilnius, Lithuania
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+12 in)
Sport
Country Lithuania
Sport Athletics
Event Discus throw
College team California Golden Bears
Achievements and titles
Personal bests74.35 m (243 ft 11 in) (Oklahoma, 2024) WR

Mykolas Alekna (born 28 September 2002) [1] is a Lithuanian athlete who specializes in the discus throw. He is the current world record holder of the event with 74.35 metres (243 ft 11 in). [2] [3] At the age of 19, he won the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, becoming the youngest world discus medallist in history. Alekna was then the youngest ever winner in his discipline at the 2022 European Championships, setting the competition record in the process. [4] [5]

Contents

In 2021, he was the World Under-20 and European U20 champion. [6] [7] [8]

Mykolas is the son of double Olympic discus throw champion Virgilijus Alekna. [9] His brother Martynas Alekna is also a discus thrower.

Career

In June 2022, 19-year-old Mykolas Alekna threw his new personal best of 69.81 m while finishing second at the Stockholm Diamond League meet, the longest ever discus throw by a teenager. At the 2022 World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon in July, he lost only to Kristjan Čeh, becoming the youngest world discus medallist in history. [4] Less than a month later at the European Championships Munich 2022, Alekna became the first teenager to win a medal in the discus throw, let alone the gold, beating Čeh and all three medallists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His father had won this title 16 years earlier. [10] [5]

On 29 April 2023 at The Big Meet in Berkeley, California, Alekna became the youngest discus thrower in history to throw beyond 70 metres, moving up to 18th on the world all-time list with his new best of 71.00 m, a new European U23 record. [11] [12]

On the second day of the 2024 Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational [13] in Ramona, Oklahoma on 14 April, Alekna set a new world record (pending ratification) of 74.35 m, surpassing Jürgen Schult's previous record of 74.08 m. This record had stood since 1986, making it the longest-standing world record in men's athletics. [14] Under near-perfect conditions, Alekna surpassed the mark of 70 m with all six of his attempts (throwing 72.21, 70.32, 72.89, 70.51, 74.35 and 70.50 m), [15] [16] each of which stood among the 100 best discus throws of all time. [17]

In the Paris 2024 Olympics, Alekna secured the silver medal with a throw of 69.97 metres on his second attempt, surpassing his father Virgiljus's Olympic record that had stood since Athens 2004. However, the record was broken by gold medalist Rojé Stona minutes later, who threw his personal best and set a new olympic record at 70.0 metres. [18]

International competitions

Representing Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival Baku, Azerbaijan9thDiscus throw (1.5 kg) 54.13 m
2021 European U20 Championships Tallinn, Estonia1stDiscus throw (1.75 kg) 68.00 m
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya1st Discus throw (1.75 kg) 69.81 m
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States2nd Discus throw 69.27 m
European Championships Munich, Germany1st Discus throw 69.78 m CR
2023 European U23 Championships Espoo, Finland1st Discus throw 68.34 m CR
World Championships Budapest, Hungary3rd Discus throw 68.85 m
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy3rd Discus throw 67.48 m
Olympic Games Paris, France2nd Discus throw 69.97 m

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discus throw</span> Event in track and field athletics

The discus throw, also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight — called a discus — in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by the fifth-century-BC Myron statue Discobolus. Although not part of the current pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient Greek pentathlon, which can be dated back to at least 708 BC, and it is part of the modern decathlon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw</span>

The men's discus throw competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was held at the Olympic Stadium on 21–23 August. It was originally planned to hold the discus throw at the Ancient Olympia Stadium, but it was discovered that the field was not large enough to accommodate the range of modern discus throwers, and would have posed a danger to spectators. As such, it was decided to move the discus throw and to hold the shot put at the ancient stadium, despite the fact that the shot put was not contested at the Ancient Olympic Games. Thirty-nine athletes from 26 nations competed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgilijus Alekna</span> Lithuanian discus thrower and politician

Virgilijus Alekna is a Lithuanian former discus thrower and politician. He won medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics, including two golds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerd Kanter</span> Estonian discus thrower (born 1979)

Gerd Kanter is a retired Estonian discus thrower. He was the 2007 World Champion in the event and won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and bronze in London 2012. His personal best throw of 73.38 m is the Estonian record and the fourth best mark of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jürgen Schult</span> East German discus thrower

Jürgen Schult is a German former track and field athlete and, from 1986 until 2024, the world record holder in the discus throw. Schult represented East Germany in the 1988 Olympic discus competition, where he won the gold medal.

The men's discus throw event at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, 24 September and Monday, 25 September. Forty-five athletes from 28 nations competed. The event was won by Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania, the nation's second victory in the men's discus throw. Lars Riedel of Germany took silver, becoming the 13th man to win multiple discus throw medals. Frantz Kruger earned South Africa's first medal in the event with his bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Elkasević</span> Croatian discus thrower (born 1990)

Sandra Elkasević is a Croatian discus thrower. She is a two-time Olympic and world champion and a record seven-time European champion which makes her the most decorated female discus thrower in history. She is also a seven-time Diamond League winner, prevailing in 46 circuit's meetings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discus throw at the Olympics</span> Olympic sport

The discus throw is one of four track and field throwing events held at the Summer Olympics. The men's discus throw has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. The women's event was first contested at the 1928 Olympics, being one of the five athletics events in the inaugural Olympic women's programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Crouser</span> American track and field athlete (born 1992)

Ryan Crouser is an American track and field athlete who competes in the shot put and discus. He specializes in the shot put, in which he is the only three-time Olympic gold medalist, having won in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris, and also a two-time World Champion. He holds the world record in the shot put, both indoors and outdoors. He set the outdoor world record at 23.56 meters in May 2023, improving upon his previous record of 23.37 m from July 2021. He has held the indoor record of 22.82 m since January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Denny</span> Australian athlete (born 1996)

Matthew Denny is an Australian athlete specialising in the discus throw. He won the bronze medal in the men's discus throw at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Bell (athlete)</span> New Zealand athlete (born 2001)

Connor Bell is a New Zealand field athlete. He represented his country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and is a four-time national champion in the discus throw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 World Athletics Championships – Men's discus throw</span>

The men's discus throw at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 19 and 21 August 2023.

Marius Karges is a German discus thrower. In 2022, he became World under-20 Champion in the discus throw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rojé Stona</span> Jamaican athlete (born 1999)

Rojé Stona is a Jamaican track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He broke the Olympic record to win the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, thus becoming the first Jamaican to be Olympic Champion at a throwing event.

Martynas Alekna is a Lithuanian discus thrower.

The men's discus throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in Paris, France, on 5 and 7 August 2024.

References

  1. "Mykolas ALEKNA – Athlete Profile". World Athletics . Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. "Alekna breaks discus world record with 74.35m in Oklahoma | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  3. "Ratified: world records for McLaughlin-Levrone, Duplantis, Kipyegon, Chebet, Alekna and Ngetich | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 Faraudo, Jeff (20 July 2022). "World T&F Championships: Cal's Mykolas Alekna Wins Silver in Discus at Age 19". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. 1 2 "In focus | A closer look at Rising Stars Tzengko and Alekna". European Athletics . 25 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  6. "Mykolas Alekna neturi lygių ir pasaulyje – disko metikas Kenijoje nokautavo varžovus pirmuoju metimu". www.lrytas.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. "Jau pirmuoju metimu rekordą pagerinęs Mykolas Alekna – pasaulio jaunimo čempionas!". 15min.lt/sportas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. "Pirmu metimu rekordą pagerinęs Mykolas Alekna – pasaulio jaunimo čempionas!". sportas.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. Faraudo, Jeff (28 October 2022). "Cal Discus Ace Mykolas Alekna Named Europe's Rising Star for Track and Field". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. Crumley, Euan (19 August 2022). "Okoye savours his medal-winning moment". AW . Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. Howard, Nick (1 May 2023). "Over 70 metres at the age of 20! Alekna throws world lead in Berkeley". European Athletics . Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  12. Faraudo, Jeff (30 April 2023). "Cal Track and Field: Mykolas Alekna and Carolina Visca Shine in Big Meet". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. "Calendar & Results: Day 2, 2024 Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  14. "Lithuania's Mykolas Alekna breaks discus throw record that stood since 1986". Associated Press News. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  15. "Men Discus Throw - Field series". AthleticLIVE. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  16. "World record! Alekna launches 74.35m to break 38-year-old mark". european-athletics.com. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  17. As of 13 April 2024, the 100th best discus throw stood at 70.26 m. "Discus Throw men". worldathletics.org. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  18. McCarvel, Nick (7 August 2024). "Paris 2024 Athletics Men's Discus Throw: All Results as Roje Stona Wins the Gold Medal".
Records
Preceded by Men's discus world record holder
14 April 2024 - present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year
2022, 2023
Succeeded by
TBD