Mykolas Alekna: Lithuania’s Discus World-Record Star

Introduction

Mykolas Alekna is a Lithuanian athlete and one of the greatest young discus throwers in the world.

He is best known for setting the men’s discus world record of 75.56 metres on 13 April 2025. This historic performance made him the first male athlete officially to throw a discus farther than 75 metres.

Alekna is also an Olympic silver medallist, European champion and three-time World Championships medallist. He won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after producing a throw of 69.97 metres.

Born into a famous sporting family, he followed the same event as his father, Virgilijus Alekna, a two-time Olympic discus champion. However, Mykolas has created his own place in athletics history through discipline, education and record-breaking performances.

Mykolas Alekna Quick Facts

Detail	Verified information
Full name	Mykolas Alekna
Date of birth	28 September 2002
Age	23 years old as of August 2026
Birthplace	Vilnius, Lithuania
Nationality	Lithuanian
Profession	Professional discus thrower
Main event	Men’s discus throw
World record	75.56 metres
Olympic achievement	Silver medal at Paris 2024
European achievement	Gold medal at Munich 2022
University education	Psychology degree from the University of California, Berkeley
Father	Virgilijus Alekna
Mother	Kristina Aleknienė
Brother	Martynas Alekna
Career status	Active

Who Is Mykolas Alekna?

Mykolas Alekna is an elite Lithuanian track-and-field athlete who specialises in discus throwing.

He first gained international attention as a teenager after winning major junior championships. His career developed quickly, and he soon began competing against experienced Olympic and world champions.

At only 19 years old, he won a silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Later that year, he became the youngest men’s discus champion in European Championships history.

His calm personality, smooth throwing technique and ability to perform under pressure helped him become one of the leading athletes of his generation.

Alekna is not only a successful young athlete. He is already an important figure in the history of his sport.

Mykolas Alekna’s Age and Date of Birth

Mykolas Alekna was born on 28 September 2002 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

He is 23 years old as of August 2026 and will turn 24 on 28 September 2026.

He achieved many of his greatest results before reaching the age at which most discus throwers enter their strongest years.

Discus athletes often need several years to develop their strength, balance and throwing technique. Alekna’s success at such a young age makes his career especially remarkable.

Early Life in Lithuania

Mykolas grew up in a family with a strong connection to athletics.

Sport was a natural part of his childhood, but he did not immediately focus only on discus throwing. He played football and also tried high jump and long jump.

He played as a striker in football and enjoyed the speed and movement of the game. His mother had competed in long jump, so he also explored jumping events when he was younger.

Mykolas began taking discus more seriously during his teenage years. By around the age of 16, it had become clear that he had the physical ability and technical talent required to succeed in the event.

His development was fast, but it was not based only on his famous family name. He trained carefully, listened to experienced coaches and worked on small technical details.

Mykolas Alekna’s Family

Mykolas comes from one of the most famous athletics families in Lithuania.

Father: Virgilijus Alekna

His father, Virgilijus Alekna, is considered one of the greatest discus throwers in history.

Virgilijus won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004. He also became a two-time world champion and recorded a personal best of 73.88 metres.

For many years, he held the Olympic discus record of 69.89 metres.

Mykolas broke his father’s Olympic record during the Paris 2024 final with a throw of 69.97 metres. However, Jamaica’s Rojé Stona later threw 70.00 metres in the same competition to win gold and establish another Olympic record.

Mother: Kristina Aleknienė

His mother, Kristina Aleknienė, is a former long jumper.

Her athletics background also helped create a sporting environment within the family.

Brother: Martynas Alekna

Mykolas has an older brother named Martynas Alekna.

Martynas is also an international discus thrower and has represented Lithuania at major competitions, including the Olympic Games.

Although the brothers compete in the same event, both have followed their own sporting paths.

Education

Education has remained an important part of Mykolas Alekna’s life.

He attended Saulės Privati Gimnazija in Lithuania before moving to the United States.

He later joined the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied psychology and competed for the California Golden Bears.

Alekna graduated with a degree in psychology. His university years allowed him to continue his education while training in a strong American collegiate athletics programme.

After his time at California, he joined the University of Oregon for his senior collegiate season.

His decision to study in the United States gave him access to experienced coaches, modern training facilities and regular high-level competition.

Beginning of His Discus Career

Alekna’s international progress became clear during junior competition.

In 2021, he won the European Under-20 discus title in Tallinn. He then won another gold medal at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi.

These victories showed that he was ready to move into senior athletics.

The jump from junior to senior competition is difficult because younger athletes must face stronger and more experienced opponents. Mykolas handled that change unusually well.

Within one year, he moved from junior champion to senior world medallist.

Athletics fans interested in another young Olympic star can also read about Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s inspiring rise from a difficult childhood to international success.

Breakthrough at the 2022 World Championships

Mykolas Alekna’s major senior breakthrough came at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

He produced a throw of 69.27 metres and won the silver medal.

He was only 19 years old at the time, making him the youngest men’s discus medallist in World Championships history.

This result confirmed that his junior success was not temporary. He could already compete against the best senior throwers in the world.

The medal was also special because the competition took place in the United States, where he was studying and training.

Becoming European Champion

Only weeks after winning world silver, Alekna competed at the 2022 European Championships in Munich.

He won the gold medal with a throw of 69.78 metres.

The performance established a championship record and made him the youngest European men’s discus champion.

Winning the title showed that he could recover quickly after a major competition and perform strongly again.

His success also continued Lithuania’s long and proud connection with discus throwing.

World Championships Medals

Alekna has won medals at three World Athletics Championships.

Eugene 2022

He won silver with a throw of 69.27 metres.

Budapest 2023

He won bronze with a best throw of 68.85 metres.

Tokyo 2025

He earned another silver medal after throwing 67.84 metres.

Daniel Ståhl of Sweden won the 2025 title with a powerful final-round throw. Alekna had led much of the competition before Ståhl moved into first place.

Winning medals at three consecutive World Championships demonstrates Alekna’s consistency at the highest level.

First Discus World Record

On 14 April 2024, Mykolas competed at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, Oklahoma.

He threw the discus 74.35 metres.

The performance broke the previous men’s world record of 74.08 metres, set by East Germany’s Jürgen Schult in 1986.

Schult’s record had survived for almost 38 years. It was the longest-standing men’s world record in athletics at the time.

Breaking such an old record immediately placed Alekna among the most important athletes in discus history.

Paris 2024 Olympic Silver Medal

Mykolas entered the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as the world-record holder and one of the favourites for gold.

He performed strongly during qualification and reached the final without difficulty.

In the final, he threw 69.97 metres. The mark broke the Olympic record previously held by his father.

For a brief period, Mykolas led the competition and held both the world and Olympic records.

Rojé Stona later produced a throw of exactly 70.00 metres. The Jamaican athlete won gold, while Alekna received the silver medal on his Olympic debut.

Although he narrowly missed gold, becoming an Olympic medallist at 21 was a major achievement.

Readers can also explore Jeanette Kwakye’s Olympic journey and her later career as a respected sports broadcaster.

Historic 75.56-Metre World Record

Mykolas returned to Ramona on 13 April 2025.

During the first round of the competition, he threw 74.89 metres, improving his world record.

He then produced an even greater performance in the fourth round.

The discus travelled 75.56 metres, making him the first man officially to break the 75-metre barrier.

The new record improved his previous best by more than one metre.

World Athletics later ratified both his 74.89-metre and 75.56-metre performances. His official results and career records can be viewed through the World Athletics profile of Mykolas Alekna.

The achievement was compared with other important barriers in sport because no man had officially reached 75 metres before him.

Why Was the World Record So Important?

The 75.56-metre throw was important for several reasons.

First, it moved the limits of the men’s discus to a completely new level.

Second, Alekna broke his own world record twice during the same competition.

Third, he achieved the result at only 22 years old.

Many discus throwers reach their best performances when they are older because the event requires strength, experience and technical control.

Alekna reached a historic distance before entering the traditional peak years of a discus athlete.

Mykolas Alekna’s Throwing Style

Alekna is known for his smooth and controlled throwing technique.

Discus throwing is not based only on physical strength. Athletes must combine speed, balance, timing and body control.

The thrower spins inside a circular area before releasing the discus. A small mistake in foot position or timing can greatly reduce the distance.

Alekna’s main strengths include:

• Fast movement inside the throwing circle
• Strong balance
• Smooth body rotation
• Controlled release
• Consistent technique
• Ability to remain calm in major competitions
• Strong understanding of wind conditions
• Willingness to study small technical details

His technique often looks relaxed, even when he is producing extremely powerful throws.

Coaches and Training

Several coaches have contributed to Alekna’s development.

Mantas Jusis has played an important role in his long-term progress. During his time in the United States, Alekna also worked with experienced throws coach Mohamad Saatara.

At the University of Oregon, he entered another respected athletics programme with experienced coaching and training support.

Alekna has explained in interviews that he enjoys the training process. He does not focus only on medals or records.

He studies small details and tries to improve one part of his technique at a time.

This patient approach has helped him remain successful even when expectations are extremely high.

Major Medals and Achievements

Mykolas Alekna’s most important confirmed achievements include:

• Olympic silver medal at Paris 2024
• World Championships silver medal in 2022
• World Championships bronze medal in 2023
• World Championships silver medal in 2025
• European Championships gold medal in 2022
• European Championships bronze medal in 2024
• European Under-23 champion in 2023
• World Under-20 champion in 2021
• European Under-20 champion in 2021
• Men’s discus world record of 75.56 metres
• First man officially to throw beyond 75 metres
• Youngest men’s discus medallist in World Championships history
• Youngest European men’s discus champion
• Multiple Lithuanian national titles
• Multiple Diamond League victories
• Three-time collegiate First-Team All-American

Awards and Recognition

Alekna received the European Athletics Men’s Rising Star Award in 2022.

He has also received major recognition in Lithuania and has been named among the country’s leading male athletes.

During his university career, he earned several collegiate athletics honours.

These awards recognise not only his longest throws but also his consistency across major events.

Personal Life

Mykolas Alekna keeps most of his private life away from public attention.

Reliable official sources do not confirm a wife, partner or children. Claims about his dating life should therefore not be treated as facts.

There is also no dependable public evidence confirming his net worth, salary, luxury property or private collection.

His known public life is mainly connected with athletics, university education, training and international competition.

Avoiding unsupported personal claims is important because online celebrity websites often publish estimated information without reliable evidence.

Is Mykolas Alekna Related to Virgilijus Alekna?

Yes. Mykolas Alekna is the son of Virgilijus Alekna.

Virgilijus won two Olympic gold medals and two World Championship titles in the discus.

Mykolas has often been compared with his father because they competed in the same event. However, their careers developed in different periods and under different conditions.

Mykolas has said that his father was an important example, but he has worked to build his own identity.

By breaking the world record and passing 75 metres, he achieved something no other discus thrower had officially done.

Why Is Mykolas Alekna Famous?

Mykolas Alekna is famous because he is:

• The men’s discus world-record holder
• The first man to throw beyond 75 metres
• A Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist
• A European champion
• A three-time World Championships medallist
• The son of two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna
• One of the most successful young throwers in athletics history

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mykolas Alekna?

Mykolas Alekna is a Lithuanian discus thrower, Olympic silver medallist and men’s world-record holder.

How old is Mykolas Alekna?

He is 23 years old as of August 2026.

When was Mykolas Alekna born?

He was born on 28 September 2002.

Where was Mykolas Alekna born?

He was born in Vilnius, Lithuania.

What is Mykolas Alekna’s world record?

His official men’s discus world record is 75.56 metres.

When did he set the world record?

He set the 75.56-metre record on 13 April 2025 in Ramona, Oklahoma.

Did Mykolas Alekna win an Olympic medal?

Yes. He won the silver medal in the men’s discus at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Who won the Paris 2024 discus gold medal?

Rojé Stona of Jamaica won gold with an Olympic-record throw of 70.00 metres.

Who is Mykolas Alekna’s father?

His father is Virgilijus Alekna, a two-time Olympic discus champion from Lithuania.

Does Mykolas Alekna have a brother?

Yes. His older brother, Martynas Alekna, is also an international discus thrower.

What did Mykolas Alekna study?

He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in psychology.

Is Mykolas Alekna married?

No reliable public source confirms that he is married.

What is Mykolas Alekna’s net worth?

No trustworthy financial source has confirmed his net worth.

Is Mykolas Alekna still competing?

Yes. He remains an active discus thrower.

Conclusion

Mykolas Alekna has already created one of the most impressive careers in modern athletics.

He moved from junior champion to senior world medallist while still a teenager. He then became European champion, broke a world record that had stood for almost 38 years and won an Olympic silver medal.

In 2025, he entered another level of sporting history by throwing 75.56 metres. No man had officially passed the 75-metre line before him.

His father’s success introduced the Alekna name to Olympic history, but Mykolas has created his own powerful legacy.

With his combination of youth, education, discipline and technical ability, his career may still have many important chapters ahead.