Alekna breaks 72 metres in Wanda Diamond League record moment

Mykolas Alekna produced a 72.58-metre discus throw at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia, becoming the first athlete to surpass 72 metres at a Diamond League event. The OMEGA-recorded effort came in the fifth round and secured the Lithuanian a landmark victory at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial.

Alekna had already done enough to win before his biggest throw. He opened with 71.03m, then improved to 71.67m with his second attempt. His fifth-round effort added almost a metre to the previous Diamond League series record and became the longest throw outside Ramona, Oklahoma since 2006.

The performance also marked a strong response to his second-place finish behind Slovenia’s Kristjan Čeh at the European Championships in Birmingham. Alekna turned that disappointment into a dominant display in Poland, where he had arrived already qualified for the Wanda Diamond League Final.

The result continued the world record holder’s return to leading form after surgery at the start of the year. His 72.58m was the standout mark on a meeting programme that also included several records, but Alekna’s throw established a new standard for the Diamond League discus competition.

Alekna will now focus on the final in Brussels on September 4-5. He will attempt to defend his Diamond League discus title and finish the series as the world’s number one. The Silesia victory gives him another major result after the setback in Birmingham, while the 72-metre barrier adds a historic achievement to his season.