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Mykolas Alekna

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Mykolas Alekna
Alekna in Munich 2022
Personal information
NationalityLithuanian
Born (2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22)
Vilnius, Lithuania
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Sport
CountryLithuania
SportAthletics
EventDiscus throw
College teamCalifornia Golden Bears
Achievements and titles
Personal bests74.35 m (243 ft 11 in) (Oklahoma, 2024) WR
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Lithuania
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2024 Paris Discus throw
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Eugene Discus throw
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Budapest Discus throw
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich Discus throw
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Rome Discus throw
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Nairobi Discus throw
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Espoo Discus throw
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Tallinn Discus throw

Mykolas Alekna (born 28 September 2002)[1] is a Lithuanian athlete who specializes in the discus throw. He is the current world record holder of the event with 74.35 metres (243 ft 11 in).[2][3] At the age of 19, he won the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, becoming the youngest world discus medallist in history. Alekna was then the youngest ever winner in his discipline at the 2022 European Championships, setting the competition record in the process.[4][5]

In 2021, he was the World Under-20 and European U20 champion.[6][7][8]

Mykolas is the son of double Olympic discus throw champion Virgilijus Alekna.[9] His brother Martynas Alekna is also a discus thrower.

Career

[edit]

In June 2022, 19-year-old Mykolas Alekna threw his new personal best of 69.81 m while finishing second at the Stockholm Diamond League meet, the longest ever discus throw by a teenager. At the 2022 World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon in July, he lost only to Kristjan Čeh, becoming the youngest world discus medallist in history.[4] Less than a month later at the European Championships Munich 2022, Alekna became the first teenager to win a medal in the discus throw, let alone the gold, beating Čeh and all three medallists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His father had won this title 16 years earlier.[10][5]

On 29 April 2023 at The Big Meet in Berkeley, California, Alekna became the youngest discus thrower in history to throw beyond 70 metres, moving up to 18th on the world all-time list with his new best of 71.00 m, a new European U23 record.[11][12]

On the second day of the 2024 Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational[13] in Ramona, Oklahoma on 14 April, Alekna set a new world record (pending ratification) of 74.35 m, surpassing Jürgen Schult's previous record of 74.08 m. This record had stood since 1986, making it the longest-standing world record in men's athletics.[14] Under near-perfect conditions, Alekna surpassed the mark of 70 m with all six of his attempts (throwing 72.21, 70.32, 72.89, 70.51, 74.35 and 70.50 m),[15][16] each of which stood among the 100 best discus throws of all time.[17]

In the Paris 2024 Olympics, Alekna secured the silver medal with a throw of 69.97 metres on his second attempt, surpassing his father Virgiljus's Olympic record that had stood since Athens 2004. However, the record was broken by gold medalist Rojé Stona minutes later, who threw his personal best and set a new olympic record at 70.0 metres.[18]

International competitions

[edit]
Representing  Lithuania
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival Baku, Azerbaijan 9th Discus throw (1.5 kg) 54.13 m
2021 European U20 Championships Tallinn, Estonia 1st Discus throw (1.75 kg) 68.00 m
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 1st Discus throw (1.75 kg) 69.81 m
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 2nd Discus throw 69.27 m
European Championships Munich, Germany 1st Discus throw 69.78 m CR
2023 European U23 Championships Espoo, Finland 1st Discus throw 68.34 m CR
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 3rd Discus throw 68.85 m
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 3rd Discus throw 67.48 m
Olympic Games Paris, France 2nd Discus throw 69.97 m

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mykolas ALEKNA – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Alekna breaks discus world record with 74.35m in Oklahoma | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Ratified: world records for McLaughlin-Levrone, Duplantis, Kipyegon, Chebet, Alekna and Ngetich | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b Faraudo, Jeff (20 July 2022). "World T&F Championships: Cal's Mykolas Alekna Wins Silver in Discus at Age 19". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b "In focus | A closer look at Rising Stars Tzengko and Alekna". European Athletics. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Mykolas Alekna neturi lygių ir pasaulyje – disko metikas Kenijoje nokautavo varžovus pirmuoju metimu". www.lrytas.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Jau pirmuoju metimu rekordą pagerinęs Mykolas Alekna – pasaulio jaunimo čempionas!". 15min.lt/sportas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Pirmu metimu rekordą pagerinęs Mykolas Alekna – pasaulio jaunimo čempionas!". sportas.lt. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ^ Faraudo, Jeff (28 October 2022). "Cal Discus Ace Mykolas Alekna Named Europe's Rising Star for Track and Field". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. ^ Crumley, Euan (19 August 2022). "Okoye savours his medal-winning moment". AW. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. ^ Howard, Nick (1 May 2023). "Over 70 metres at the age of 20! Alekna throws world lead in Berkeley". European Athletics. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  12. ^ Faraudo, Jeff (30 April 2023). "Cal Track and Field: Mykolas Alekna and Carolina Visca Shine in Big Meet". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. ^ "Calendar & Results: Day 2, 2024 Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Lithuania's Mykolas Alekna breaks discus throw record that stood since 1986". Associated Press News. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Men Discus Throw - Field series". AthleticLIVE. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  16. ^ "World record! Alekna launches 74.35m to break 38-year-old mark". european-athletics.com. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  17. ^ As of 13 April 2024, the 100th best discus throw stood at 70.26 m. "Discus Throw men". worldathletics.org. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  18. ^ McCarvel, Nick (7 August 2024). "Paris 2024 Athletics Men's Discus Throw: All Results as Roje Stona Wins the Gold Medal".
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mykolas Alekna.
Records
Preceded by Men's discus world record holder
14 April 2024 - present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year
2022, 2023 		Succeeded by
TBD


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