World record-holder Mykolas Alekna launched four throws over the 71 metre-barrier for victory in the discus in the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday (23).
Having already showed excellent consistency with successive throws of 71.03m, 71.67m and 71.29m in the first three rounds, Alekna smashed his Diamond League record in the fifth round with 72.58m.
The Lithuanian reversed the result of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham last week with Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh - who retained his title - having to settle for second with 68.93m with three-time world champion Daniel Ståhl third with 68.25m.
"I feel amazing. I turned the frustration from the European championships into motivation. I just tried to move as fast as I can, I did not do any major changes. I always try to throw the same in any conditions. The stadium is a closed stadium which is not bad for discus throw. I am happy that I bounced back after the European championships, I am happy with this result.
"After Birmingham I was really hungry and I am still hungry, I still got the Diamond League final to win. This is my first time in Silesia and I would love to come back. It is so close to home and I some many fans with the Lithuanian flag," said Alekna who will have the chance to return to the Silesian Stadium which hosts the 2028 European Athletics Championships.
Duplantis under pressure but ultimately victorious
Four-time European champion Armand Duplantis was also in victorious form but the Swede was pushed beyond 6.00m again by Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis who took three attempts at 6.10m and 6.20m respectively.
Having registered failures at both 5.65m and 5.90m, Duplantis found himself in the unusual position of trailing both Guttormsen and Karalis on countback at 6.00m before the Swede found his stride with a second-time clearance at 6.10m and then a first-time clearance at 6.20m.
Having already vaulted eight times throughout the competition which was also his third within the space of a week having also vaulted in Lausanne on Thursday evening, Duplantis took one aborted attempt at a world record height of 6.32m before retiring from the competition.
For Duplantis, this was the 46th Diamond League victory of his career so far.
By contrast, Nadia Battocletti achieved the first ever Diamond League victory in a slow and tactical 5000m which was always destined to play into the hands of the fast-finishing Italian.
Fresh from defending her 5000m and 10,000m titles at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Battocletti unleashed a 58.69 last lap to win the 5000m in 14:54.09 ahead of Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu (14:54.62) and Australia’s Rose Davies (14:55.39).
"I thought the race would be faster, but I do not mind that it was not. I actually like races like this one. I do not quite know how I managed to come back after winning two golds at the European Championships. But my manager suggested that I race here and I said 'OK, let's do it.' I hope to come back here for the Europeans in two years' time and win," said Battocletti.
Other European champions who were in winning form includes Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri who broke the 22 metre-barrier for the tenth time this season with 22.08m while Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh equalled her meeting record of 2.00m for victory in the high jump ahead of her compatriot Iryna Herashchenko who cleared a season’s best of 1.98m.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images / Diamond League AG