Is Mykolas Alekna the Son of A 2x Olympic Gold Medalist? Take a Look at the Family of the Discus Throw Sensation Who Broke Men’s Oldest Track and Field World Record

Breaking the longest-standing men’s discus throw world record, Mykolas Alekna delivered a fresh world record that surpassed the 38-year-old record in the history of the sport. While the European World Champion Medalist is following his father’s footsteps, he proves everyone wrong by not getting overshadowed by the burden that surfaces his gold medal-winning genes.

Alekna is the son of a 2x Olympic and 2x world champion discus thrower, Virgilijus Alekna who won his Olympic titles in Sydney and Athens in 2000 and 2004 respectively, and clinched gold at the World Athletics Championships in Paris in 2003 and Helsinki in 2005. Still second in the all-time list, this time, Virgilijus Alekna was surpassed by his son, which could be most definitely a matter of pride in the history of discus throwing.

Mykolas Alekna made a world record and placed second on the all-time list

The Lithuania origin, Mykolas Alekna, during the recent Oklahoma Throws Series meeting in Ramona, broke the longest-standing men’s world record with an incredible 74.35m discus mark. The 21-year-old young athlete outwitted the 74.08m mark 16 years after it was set by Jurgen Schult back in 1986.

While everything was favored on his side, Mykolas Alekna started his first throw with a decent 72.21m discus throw mark, which improved to 71.39 PB in the second throw. It is important to note that the second mark etched him taking number 10 on the all-time World List on the 6th of April.

Not fulfilled by this accomplishment yet, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year threw a 72.89m in his third attempt, a mark that moved him up to rank an all-time fourth in the world. A 70.51m in his fourth, the fifth throw was the limelight of all throws, as it helped him attain a title that was bigger than ever imagined. Mykolas Alekna surpassed his father, Virgilijus Alekna’s score of 74.35, and succeeded him thereafter.

The fifth discus throw though at first was measured landing at a 74.41m mark, however, it was corrected and amended to 74.35m at the end. With a 70.50m in his last and final throw, Mykolas Alekna performed a dazzling series of six 70m-plus throws in the Oklahoma Throws Series meeting.

Surpassing his father in discus throw’s world record

Maintaining the family traditions, Mykolas Alekna, just like his father proved to be a reigning legend in the competitive discus throw sport. Ranking as no.2 and no.3 in the world record with 74.35m and 73.88m, Mykolas Alekna and his father Virgilijus Alekna, have now respectively become a family of world record holders.

While the son admits his greatest inspiration is always from his father, he last year became the youngest athlete ever to score the 70 plus discus throw mark with a 71.00m score, to go 18th on the all-time list. Mykolas Alekna post the 2023 meeting in Berkley, California, quoted to World Athletics.com, “My father is my big idol. He’s a legendary thrower, I want to be like him one day. Maybe even be better than him? We will see what happens.” With this statement on record last year, who knew that the son would surpass his father’s sensational discus throw mark in the current year 2024!