The throw was made during a minor competition in Ramona, Oklahoma. The 21-year-old Lithuanian is the son of two-time Olympic discus champion Virgilijus Alekna.
He already has two world medals, the silver in Eugene (United States) in 2022 and the bronze won in Budapest last summer. The oldest world record in men's and women's track and field athletics together belongs to the former Czech middle-distance runner Jarmila Kratochvilova (then Czechoslovakian) since July 1983: 800 meters in 1'53"28. The record was set by the German Jürgen Schult set almost 38 years ago in Neubrandenburg (Germany) and is still in use today. The thrower from Disco Lithuania is one of the favorites for the Olympic podium this summer in Paris. The competition was held at the Ramona High School in Oklahoma, where the thrower is a member of the Oklahoma Track and Field Association.