The Lithuanian Mykolas Alekna set a discus world record with 74.35 meters, surpassing Jürgen Schult’s almost 38-year-old record. The Schwerin native threw the disc at 74.08 meters in Neubrandenburg on June 6, 1986; his mark was most recently the oldest men’s world record in athletics.
European champion Alekna managed a fabulous series of throws of more than 70 meters each in perfect conditions in Ramona, Oklahoma. Alekna, who is studying in California, set the record in his fifth attempt. According to the World Athletics Association, 74.41 meters were initially measured, the width was then corrected downwards by six centimeters and has yet to be officially recognized as a record.
The 21-year-old Alekna is the top favorite for the Olympic Games in Paris, two months before the European Championships in Rome at the beginning of June. The 2022 World Cup runner-up and 2023 World Cup third place is the son of Virgilijus Alekna, who was Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004 and also won two World Cup titles. His best performance was 73.88 meters.
At the meeting in Ramona on Saturday, Cuban Yaime Perez achieved the longest throw for women since 1989 with 73.09 meters. Gabriele Reinsch from Cottbus has held the world record since July 9, 1988, when she achieved 76.80 meters in Neubrandenburg.
