74.35 meters

Lithuanian discus thrower breaks 38-year-old world record

Mykolas Alekna holds the world record in the discus throw.(Bild: APA/AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)

The Lithuanian Mykolas Alekna set a discus world record of 74.35 meters in Ramona (US state of Oklahoma) on Sunday, beating the almost 38-year-old record of the German Jürgen Schult (1986/74.08). It was 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. Alekna, who is studying in California, broke the record on his fifth attempt. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, 74.41 metres was initially measured, but the distance was then corrected downwards by six centimetres and still has to be officially recognized as a record.

Top favorite for Olympic gold
For comparison: Austria's discus ace Lukas Weißhaidinger holds the red-white-red record with 70.68 meters. The 21-year-old Alekna is now probably 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 Championship silver medallist and 2023 World Championship bronze medallist is the son of Virgilijus Alekna, who was Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004 and also won two World Championship titles. His best performance was 73.88 meters.

At the meeting in Ramona on Saturday, Cuban Yaime Perez had already achieved the longest throw in the women's event since 1989 with 73.09 meters. The women's world record has stood at 76.80 meters since July 9, 1988, thrown by the German Gabriele Reinsch.