World record-holder Mykolas Alekna produced an exceptional series in the men’s discus at the Lithuanian Championships in Palanga on Saturday (25).
Alekna produced four throws over the 70 metre-line with his best mark of 72.65m coming in the third round. This was the fourth longest throw of Alekna’s career behind a trio of marks set in Ramona where he improved his world record of 75.56m last year.
Even the shortest mark out of Alekna's five valid throws still came down at 69.78m. He began his competition with 71.98m and concluded his competition with throws of 70.46m and 71.54m in the fourth and sixth round respectively.
Alekna’s season looked in jeopardy in mid-March after tearing his left pectoral muscle which required surgery but the 23-year-old has made an excellent recovery.
Alekna has broken the 70 metre-barrier in each of his three competitions this summer and will now turn his focus to the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham from 10-16 August when he will target his second continental title.
Alekna made his breakthrough at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich where he won gold at the age of 19, becoming the youngest ever champion in event history as well as following in the footsteps of his father Virgilijus who won the European title in 2006.
He went on to become the 2022 men’s Rising Star at the Golden Tracks award ceremony.
2026 world discus list
74.04m – Matthew Denny (AUS) Ramona
74.00m – Steven Richter (GER) Ramona
72.65m – Mykolas Alekna (LTU) Palanga
72.61m – Kristjan Čeh (SLO) Ramona
72.45m – Sam Mattis (USA) Ramona
71.88m – Lawrence Okoye (GBR) Ramona
71.22m – Ruben Rolvink (NED) Ramona
70.66m – Roje Stona (JAM) Ramona
70.43m – Alex Rose (SAM) Ramona
69.60m – Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Stockholm