 "Who is Mykolas Alekna - the Lithuanian discus thrower who broke the 38 year world record")
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania broke the longest standing world record in men’s athletics on Sunday, producing a staggering 74.35-meter discus throw to shatter the nearly 38-year-old previous best.
The record came at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, Oklahoma. The low-key event is dedicated to throwing field events.
In his fifth attempt - following 72.21m, 70.32m, 72.89m and 70.51m, Alekna produced the gigantic throw which bettered the previous record of 74.08 meter, set by East Germany’s Jurgen Schult on 6 June, 1986.
WORLD RECORD 👀
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) April 14, 2024
🇱🇹’s Mykolas Alekna breaks the oldest men’s world record* as he produces a monster discus throw of 74.35m in Ramona.
Jürgen Schult’s record stood for almost 38 years 🤯
*subject to the usual ratification procedures pic.twitter.com/ZtHqgRNtOU
Until Sunday, Schult’s 1986 mark had been the longest-standing men’s world record in athletics, eclipsing the previous longest of 25 years and 79 days held by Jesse Owens in the long jump.
Who is Mykolas Alekna?
Alekna, 21 years old, was a silver medalist at the 2022 World Championships and bronze medalist at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHe is the son of former double Olympic discus champion Virgilijus Alekna, who won gold in the event at the 2000 and 2004 games. His older brother, Martynas Alekna, is also a discus thrower.
Alekna became the World U-20 gold medalist in 2021, registering a championship record throw of 69.81m, and the European U-20 champion with a throw of 68.00m. Additionally, he holds the second and third-best U-20 discus throw records in the world.
At the World Athletics Championships, he won a silver in 2022 (69.27m) and a bronze medal last year (68.85m). At the 2022 edition, he made history as the youngest medalist in the discus throw.
He is also the reigning European champion, having clinched a championship record throw of 69.78m in Munich in 2022.
In April 2023, the Lithuanian became the youngest athlete in the sport’s history to throw over the 70m mark, with a then-personal best of 71.00m.
He also bagged the Men’s Rising Star Award at the Golden Tracks Award Ceremony in October 2022 in Estonia.
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