Lithuania's Mykolas Alekna breaks discus world record in Oklahoma
Mykolas Alekna broke the longest-standing men's athletics world record when he smashed the mark in the discus throw on Sunday 14 April, with a heave of 74.35m* at the Oklahoma Throws Series competition in Ramona.
It was a stunning throw from the 21-year-old Lithuanian, that erased the world record of 74.08m set by Germany’s Jurgen Schult in 1986.
That was 16 years before Alekna was even born.
The two-time world medallist who is an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship-holder for Paris 2024, took up the sport after following in the footsteps of his father Virgilijus, a two-time Olympic champion.
Alekna showed intent with his opening throw of 72.21m that bettered his personal best of 71.39m. His record-breaking throw of 74.35m came in his fifth attempt and propelled him from No.10 on the world all-time list to the top of the world rankings ahead of his father, who is now placed third.
The European gold medallist’s mark of 74.35m was initially measured as 74.41m, but later revised.
*Subject to World Athletics ratification procedure
It was a fantastic weekend for discus throw in the small Washington County town of Ramona as Cuba’s world champion Yaime Perez also managed to break the 70m barrier with her throw of 73.09m, the longest women’s discus throw in the world since 1989.
The Olympic bronze medallist’s winning throw pushed her to 10th on the women’s all-time list and surpassed Valarie Allman’s North American record of 71.46m.