Alekna has thus surpassed the almost 38-year-old record set by the German Jürgen Schult (1986/74.08).
It was 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.
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.
For comparison: Austria’s discus ace Lukas Weißhaidinger holds the red-white-red record with 70.68 m. The 21-year-old Alekna is now the top favorite for the Olympic Games in Paris, two months before the European Championships at the beginning of June in Rome. 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. The women’s world record has stood at 76.80 m since July 9, 1988, thrown by the German Gabriele Reinsch.
