Mykolas Alekna is a Lithuanian discus thrower, Olympic silver medallist and the men’s world record holder in his event.
He broke athletics’ longest-standing men’s record in April 2024. A year later he improved it again and became the first man to throw beyond 75 metres. As of 20 September 2026, World Athletics lists him as world number one.
His latest news: he came back from pectoral surgery in June 2026, won the Lithuanian title, took European silver in Birmingham and finished second at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
Mykolas Alekna Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Mykolas Alekna |
| Date of birth | 28 September 2002 |
| Age (as of 20 September 2026) | 23 |
| Birthplace | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Profession | Discus thrower |
| Current position or team | Represents Lithuania; University of Oregon (college) |
| Started in the sport | Picked up a discus at 16, after football and high jump |
| Education | Psychology degree, University of California, Berkeley (graduated 2025) |
| Spouse | Not publicly confirmed |
| Children | Not publicly confirmed |
| Siblings | Older brother Martynas Alekna (born 25 August 2000), also a discus thrower |
| Record/Known for | Men’s discus world record holder; Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist |
Who Is Mykolas Alekna?
Mykolas Alekna is a Lithuanian athlete who competes in the discus throw. He is the son of two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna.
He holds the men’s world record and has won four senior global medals. World Athletics lists him as world number one as of 20 September 2026.
Mykolas Alekna’s Early Life and Background
Alekna was born on 28 September 2002 in Vilnius, according to Wikipedia. His mother is Kristina Sablovskytė-Aleknienė, a former long jumper. His father is Virgilijus.
He has an older brother, Martynas.
Virgilijus won Olympic gold in 2000 and 2004, so Mykolas was a toddler when his father won his second title. Even so, he has called his father his “big idol”.
Mykolas Alekna Played Football and Tried High Jump First
The discus was not his first choice. Alekna told World Athletics he only picked one up at 16.
Before that, he did football and high jump.
How Mykolas Alekna Started in Discus
The rise was fast. In 2021 he won the World U20 title in Nairobi with a championship record, and the European U20 title in Tallinn.
That autumn he moved to the University of California, Berkeley. Track & Field News reports he arrived knowing nobody on campus.
In April 2023 he threw 71.00m at the Big Meet in Berkeley. That made him the youngest discus thrower in history to pass 70 metres.
Mykolas Alekna Career
- 2021: World U20 and European U20 champion
- 2021–2025: University of California, Berkeley (he sat out the 2024 college season to prepare for the Olympics)
- 2022: European champion in Munich; world silver in Eugene
- 2023: World bronze in Budapest; European U23 champion in Espoo
- 2024: European bronze in Rome; Olympic silver in Paris
- 2025: Diamond League champion; world silver in Tokyo; transfer to Oregon
- 2026: European silver in Birmingham
Two firsts raised his profile early. At 19 he became the youngest world discus medallist in history. He was also the first teenager to win a European discus medal, and he won gold.
How Mykolas Alekna Reached the Top
On 14 April 2024, at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona, Alekna threw all six attempts beyond 70 metres. His best, 74.35m, beat Jürgen Schult’s 74.08m from 1986.
He was 21. It ended the longest-standing men’s record in track and field.
The same season he won Diamond League meetings in Marrakech, Oslo and Stockholm. Then he went to Paris as a favourite.
Mykolas Alekna’s Records and Key Numbers
- World record: 75.56m, Ramona, 13 April 2025. He opened that day with 74.89m before improving in round four.
- Paris 2024: a silver-medal throw of 69.97m. Rojé Stona won with 70.00m, three centimetres further.
- Diamond League record: 72.58m in Silesia on 23 August 2026, improving his own mark from London in 2025.
- Lithuanian title: 72.65m in Palanga on 25 July 2026, his season’s best.
- World Championships: silver in 2022 and 2025, bronze in 2023.
Working With His Father, Virgilijus Alekna
Virgilijus won world titles in 2003 and 2005. His personal best of 73.88m from 2000 left him second on the all-time list for years, until his son passed him.
In Paris, Mykolas briefly took his father’s Olympic record with 69.97m. Virgilijus was reportedly blunt before the 2024 record, telling him he would have to change something to get the mark his father never held.
The rivalry is friendly, and Mykolas has publicly said he hopes to surpass him.
The Move From Cal to Oregon
Alekna won NCAA medals three times and three conference titles for Cal, in the Pac-12 and the ACC.
In early July 2025 he confirmed he would use his final college season at Oregon and train in Eugene. His Cal coach, Mo Saatara, had taken a job at Texas.
He said he chose Oregon because it is a track town.
Mykolas Alekna Latest News in 2026
- March: pectoral surgery on 18 March. Doctors had predicted five to six months of rehabilitation, according to the Lithuanian Athletics Federation.
- 16 June: a winning return at the Heino Lipp Memorial in Estonia with 70.60m.
- 4 July: won the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, wearing Oregon colours for the first time. His best was 233 ft 1 in.
- 25 July: Lithuanian champion in Palanga.
- 13 August: European silver in Birmingham with 69.89m. Slovenia’s Kristjan Čeh won with a championship record of 72.51m.
- 23 August: the Silesia Diamond League record.
- 4 September: second at the Diamond League Final in Brussels with 70.14m. Čeh won with 71.29m.
Whether he takes a redshirt year at Oregon or turns fully professional is Not publicly confirmed. On 4 July he said he had not decided.
Mykolas Alekna Net Worth and Earnings
No reliable, sourced net worth figure has been published for Mykolas Alekna as of 20 September 2026.
Prize money, sponsorship and contract terms are Not publicly confirmed. Estimates on celebrity sites are unsourced, so this article does not repeat them.
Mykolas Alekna Wife and Children
Alekna keeps his private life out of the public eye. No reliable source confirms a wife, partner or children as of 20 September 2026.
Mykolas Alekna and Martynas Alekna
Martynas is two years older and also throws the discus. His best is 67.23m from 2023.
Both brothers reached the World Championships final in Tokyo in 2025. Martynas finished seventh.
At Birmingham 2026 he placed twelfth. Mykolas took silver in the same final.
Mykolas Alekna’s Career Achievements
- Olympic silver medallist, Paris 2024
- World silver medallist, 2022 and 2025; world bronze medallist, 2023
- European champion 2022; silver 2026; bronze 2024
- European U23 champion 2023
- World U20 and European U20 champion 2021
- Diamond League champion 2025
- Lithuania’s best male athlete of 2024, per the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania
- NCAA medallist three times
What Makes Mykolas Alekna Stand Out?
Consistency. Few throwers of any age have made 70 metres routine, and he has done it while studying for a degree.
Timing is unusual too. Discus throwers usually peak later, yet he owned the record at 21.
His 2026 return matters as much as the marks. He beat a five-to-six-month recovery estimate by racing in under three months.
One gap remains. He has not yet won a senior global title, finishing second in Paris, Eugene and Tokyo. Čeh and Daniel Ståhl are the men standing in the way.
Final Thought
Alekna already holds the record his father never got. The next test is turning near-misses at major finals into a gold medal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the world record in the discus?
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania holds the men’s world record with 75.56 m, set in Ramona, Oklahoma, on 13 April 2025. The women’s record is 76.80 m by Gabriele Reinsch of East Germany, set in 1988. That one is from my own knowledge, so check it against World Athletics before publishing.
Who is Mykolas Alekna’s father?
His father is Virgilijus Alekna, a two-time Olympic discus champion (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004) and two-time world champion (2003 and 2005). His mother is Kristina Sablovskytė-Aleknienė, a former long jumper.
What is Mykolas Alekna’s nationality?
He is Lithuanian and represents Lithuania in international competition. He was born in Vilnius and competes at college level for the University of Oregon.
Who is the best discus thrower in the world?
As of 20 September 2026, Mykolas Alekna is ranked world number one by World Athletics and holds the world record. The picture is closer than that suggests, though.
- Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia won the 2026 European title and the Diamond League Final in Brussels, both ahead of Alekna.
- Daniel Ståhl of Sweden is the reigning world champion.
- Alekna has not yet won a senior global title.
Alekna is the best on the rankings and the record books, but Čeh has beaten him at both major finals this year.
Who is a famous female discus thrower?
Valarie Allman of the USA is the best-known. She is a two-time Olympic champion, and recent World Athletics reports list her as Valarie Sion. Others to know:
- Feng Bin (China): 2022 world champion, and winner of the women’s discus at the 2026 Diamond League Final.
- Yaimé Pérez (Cuba): threw 73.09 m in 2024, the longest women’s throw since 1989.
- Sandra Perković (Croatia): a former Olympic-level champion, from my own knowledge rather than this research.
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