Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna is poised to carry on the legacy of his father, Virgilijus, who holds an Olympic record in the same discipline. His 69.89-meter throw in Athens 2004 guaranteed the then-32-year-old a second Olympic gold medal, having also won in Sydney 2000. The world record followed in April 2024, when all his six throws – alongside his new all-time mark – were over the elite 70-meter mark. Deep-rooted traditionAlekna’s success in the discus throw is testament to Lithuania’s deep-rooted tradition in this field event – the Baltic state has been hugely successful with the discus in hand. Virgilijus Alekna’s victories on the global stage helped to popularize the sport, and now, finals of discus throw are among the most-watched Olympic events in Lithuania.

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Persons: Bronny James, LeBron, Mykolas Alekna, Virgilijus, Jürgen, Alekna, you’ll, ” Virgilijus, Mykolas, –, Romas Ubartas, Ubartas, Martynas, Andrius Gudžius –, Lukas Weißhaidinger, Daniel Ståhl Organizations: CNN, Sydney, Sydney Games, University of California, Seoul Games, Soviet Union, Paris Games, League –, Lithuanian, European Athletics, Tokyo Games Locations: Paris, Lithuanian, Athens, Berkeley, Munich, Bavarian, Baltic, European, Soviet Union, Barcelona, Lithuania, Soviet, Rome, Slovenian, Sweden