The final act of the World Athletics Championships provided a thrilling conclusion as Sweden’s Daniel Ståhl won men’s discus gold with his last throw and cemented his status among the event’s all-time greats in Tokyo on Sunday (21).
A dramatic final was postponed after two opening throws with torrential rain making the circle dangerous. But with the rest of the athletics programme concluded, the gladiatorial throwers returned to the arena to resume, despite frequent downpours.
And none look less affected that the 33-year-old Stahl, who won Olympic gold in the same arena four years ago, had two world titles already to his name and has seen and experienced it all in his glittering career.
Final fling for glory
Sitting in silver medal position but with an ominously consistent series of 63.74m, 65.60m, 67.47m and 66.97m behind him, the ice-cool Swede took his place in the cage for the penultimate throw of the competition with Mykolas Alekna’s leading throw of 67.84m in his sights.
And while all around him slipped and slid in the wet, the Swede was sure-footed and he delivered a monstrous season’s best throw of 70.47m to seize gold.
It was reminiscent of his fellow Swede Armand Duplantis who equally revelled in the solo spotlight when breaking the pole vault world record to win gold in the same stadium six days earlier.
The Lithuanian world-record holder could not respond and had to settle for silver with his second-round effort. Ståhl’s victory denied Alekna a first senior global triumph.
For Ståhl, it once again showed his trademark competitive fire, taking gold with the final throw, just as he had from Slovenia’s Kristjan Čeh at the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Čeh, the 2022 world champion, struggled in the wet and finished eight with 63.07m, while Lithuania had three athletes inside the top seven—Alekna, his older brother Martynas (63.34m, 7th), and former world champion Andrius Gudžius (63.43m, 6th).
"Mentally, I was ready"
Dancing in the rain before his opener, umbrella in hand, Ståhl embraced the chaotic conditions with typical flair. “This was my first rainy championships ever. I tried to stay positive and never give up,” he said. “Mentally, I was ready for that last throw. This arena is my favourite—it was special in 2021, and it was special again tonight.”
His triumph adds to his world titles from 2019 and 2023, making him a three-time world champion and one of the most decorated European discus throwers in history.
Australia’s Matt Denny (65.57m) narrowly missed the podium, overtaken late by Alex Rose of Samoa, whose 66.96m secured his nation’s first-ever global athletics medal. Yet, for all the international breakthroughs, the night belonged to Europe’s giants.
Even Alekna, gracious in defeat, paid tribute to his rival: “Daniel is an amazing guy. I cannot be mad at him. He’s an absolute legend and I’m thankful to share the field with him. I hope the day comes when I beat Daniel at a major championship.”