The
Paris 2024 Olympic Games
are just around the corner and for its “king sport”, athletics
,
one of the probable stars has already given notice of its possibilities: at just 21 years old, Lithuanian
Mykolas Alekna
broke the world record for discus throw. He did it in the town of Ramona, United States, with a fabulous record of 74.35 centimeters.
It could be another record, but it is not. Alekna left behind the oldest mark among all those in force among men: the 74.08 meters that
Jürgen Schult
, from the former East Germany, had achieved on June 6, 1986 in Neubrandenburg.
Now that “distinction” corresponds to the hammer throw, since the world record achieved on August 30, 1986 by the Soviet
Yuri Sediyh
is untouchable . At that time anti-doping controls were not so strict and most of the records in throwing tests were almost inaccessible since then.
Only
Virgilijus Alekna
came within a step of Schult's record when he threw 73.88 meters on August 3, 2000 in Kaunas, Lithuania. He was Olympic champion that year in Sydney and retained the crown in Athens 2004, in addition to achieving bronze in Beijing 2008. Now Virgilijus sees how the record remains in the family:
Mykolas is his son and was born on September 28, 2002
.
Virgilijus Alekna is an idol of Lithuanian sports, since in addition to his Olympic harvest he won the world titles in 2003 in Paris and 2005 in Helsinki. Lithuanians have a tradition of great discus bowlers, since Virgilijus was preceded on the Olympic podium by Romas Ubartas, champion in Seoul 1988 and runner-up in Barcelona 1992, behind Schult.
From football to discus and fishing
Mykolas trains at California State University, where the discus team is coached by another Lithuanian,
Mo Saatara
. After winning the Under 20 world title in Nairobi 2021, he made the leap to seniors and was
runner-up in the world in Oregon 2022
with 69.27 meters and bronze last year in Budapest with 68.85. Two years ago, in Munich, he won the European Championship, becoming the youngest winner in history.
“Mykolas is becoming a mature pitcher, with great technique,” his coach defines him. Just a week before his record, he had already hinted that he was close by achieving 71.39 in his university's tournament. “He is very explosive, he has great coordination and he has a wonderful field ahead of him,” added Saatara.
“My father is my great idol,” says young Alekna. He is a legendary pitcher.
I want to be like him one day.
Maybe even be better than him? We’ll see what happens.”
Mykolas has an older brother, Martynas, who is also a great talent in this event, with a personal best of 67.23 achieved last year in Latvia.
Despite family tradition, Mykolas only started discus throwing at the age of 16, as
he played soccer and practiced high jumping
. “But I slowed down and went to the puck. I think I arrived a little late. “My parents just wanted me to play sports,” he told World Athletics.
His hobby is fishing. “I go fishing in Lithuania in the lakes, not in the sea.
It helps me relax after training.
I think about the album all the time. But when I start fishing, I forget everything,” she confessed.
In Paris he will face a powerful generation of discus throwers, led by defending champion Daniel Stalh (Sweden), Slovenian Kristjan Ceh (world champion) and Austrian Lukas Weisshaidinger. “It will be a very strong season, with five athletes over 70 meters. I think that never happened. “I’m glad I could be there,” he stated.
Only now the pressure will be on him.