Alekna Claims Silver For Best Finish By Cal Discus Thrower

21-year-old Mykolas Alekna carries the Lithuanian flag after winning the Olympic silver medal in the discus.

OLY8/7/2024 2:36 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Lithuanian Surpasses Previous Olympic Record, Claims Nation’s Highest Medal In Paris

PARIS – For just the second time in California track & field history and the first time since 1936, the Golden Bears claimed two Olympic medals – one gold and one silver – in the same Olympic Games, as rising redshirt junior Mykolas Alekna joined alumna Camryn Rogers (gold, hammer throw) on the podium with a second-place finish in Wednesday’s men’s discus final.
 
Alekna’s achievement marked several historic firsts for the Bears: he is the first European medalist in program history, as well as the highest finisher by any Cal male thrower; previously, only Americans Augustus “Gus” Pope (discus, bronze) and Harry Liversedge (shot put, bronze) had ever medaled, both in 1920. His silver medal is also Lithuania’s first of the 2024 Olympics – the best finish in any sport for that nation so far at this year’s Games.
 
Alekna, who entered his first Olympic Games with a world-record personal best of 74.35m (243-11), was favored to medal and delivered brilliantly, leading after the first round of throws with an opening mark of 68.55m (224-11). Reigning European Champion Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia, who eventually finished fourth, threatened Alekna’s lead in Round 2 with a throw of 68.41m (224-5), but it was Australian Matthew Denny who earned the first lead change of the evening, launching the discus 69.31m (227-4). The Olympic record of 69.89m (229-3), set by Virgilijus Alekna – Mykolas’s father – in 2004 seemed well within reach.
 
It was the younger Alekna who was the first to break it, unleashing a second-round throw of 69.97m (229-6), but that mark lasted all of 20 minutes before Jamaica’s Rojé Stona toppled it with a huge personal best of 70.00m (229-8). Although Stona failed to record a legal throw after that, his efforts were enough to win gold – Alekna’s next two measured throws sailed 68.88m (226-0) and 68.49m (224-8), respectively, while Denny stayed in the bronze-medal position.
 
STAY POSTED

For complete coverage of Cal track & field, follow the Bears on X/Twitter (@CalTFXC), Instagram (@caltfxc) and…