Discus champion Roje Stona at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (© Christel Saneh for World Athletics)
Jamaica’s Roje Stona launched an Olympic record-breaking throw to win the discus title at the Paris 2024 Games on Wednesday (7).
In a thrilling contest, world record-holder Mykolas Alekna improved the Olympic record – set by his father Virgilijus in 2004 – to 69.97m in the second round.
But just two rounds later, Stona achieved the throw of his life, hitting the 70-metre mark to take the lead, and the Olympic record.
He went over to the stands to celebrate with his coach, world shot put record-holder Ryan Crouser, who had claimed his third consecutive Olympic title four days earlier in the first part of what proved to be a unique coach-athlete double in Paris.
Neither Stona nor Alekna could improve with their remaining two attempts and so respectively secured the gold and silver, separated by just three centimetres.
In an Olympic contest of record depth, Australia’s Matthew Denny was the third thrower to surpass 69 metres, getting bronze with 69.31m.
The winning mark added 95cm to the PB Stona set in Ramona in May. On that day he finished second to Alekna, who threw 74.35m to break the longest standing men's world record, improving on the 74.08m set by Jurgen Schult in 1986.
With his performance in Paris, Stona becomes Jamaica’s first ever gold medallist in a throws event at the Olympic Games and his nation's first champion of Paris 2024.
Alekna adds his Olympic silver medal to the world silver he claimed in 2022 and world bronze he gained in 2023, while Denny gains a first global medal to go with the Commonwealth title he won in 2022 – when Stona secured sixth place – following his fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics and last year's World Championships.
"It's a very special night. It's everything I wanted, but for it to actually happen, it's a very good feeling," said Stona, who claimed NCAA indoor shot put silver in March.
"In practice, leading up to the competition, I felt great. So I believed in myself and I knew that I had it in me. I just went and released it, no pressure. I was already in the top eight, so I had nothing to lose."
It was Slovenia’s 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh who had launched himself into an early lead with 67.27m, but Alekna responded with a strong opener of his own – 68.55m – putting him ahead.
Denny had got himself among the medals with his first round 66.89m and he moved up a place with a second attempt of 69.31m – just four centimetres off the national record he set in Adelaide in April. Ceh improved to 68.41m and it was also in the second round that Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger and Sweden’s defending champion Daniel Stahl made their presence felt with respective marks of 67.54m and 66.95m.
Stona improved with each of his four valid attempts. After an opener of 61.66m, he threw 65.20m in the second round and 66.16m in the third, but something big was brewing.
He returned to the circle for the fourth time, sent the discus flying and then let out a roar. The implement bounced off the 70-metre marker and was measured at exactly 70.00m – putting him into the lead by three centimetres and adding 11cm to the Olympic record Virgilijus Alekna set 20 years ago.
"I've done some things that I didn't know I was capable of doing. But I believed, and I had faith, so I was in the moment and I enjoyed it," said Stona, reflecting on his progression from missing out on the final at last year's World Championships in Budapest to getting Olympic gold.
"Jamaica should be proud right now, they should celebrate," added the 25-year-old, whose compatriot Rajindra Campbell got shot put bronze in a competition won by his coach, Crouser. The discus final in Paris also featured Jamaica's Ralford Mullings and Traves Smikle. "Field events are taking a step in the right direction now. We're doing good, we're getting medals."
Alekna’s response to Stona's record was another 68-metre throw – 68.88m – and he also managed 68.49m in the fifth round. Denny threw 69.15m in the fifth round and closed his campaign with 66.44m.
"I thought I was going to set the Olympic record at the end of the day, but I didn’t," said Denny. "I knew it was going to go, I knew someone was going to get it. I was pretty sure it would be Mykolas, but Roje surprised us all. Hats off to him."
Alekna remained satisfied with silver: "I had an Olympic record for a few throws; it was great to break it. It was a great experience and I am happy to bring home a medal. I am not sad or anything, it is just pure joy. Of course, my expectation was to win, but sometimes it does not happen. I am so glad for this silver."
Alex Rose, who threw an Oceanian record of 71.48m in May, became Samoa’s first Olympic finalist in athletics and finished 12th with 61.89m.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
| MEN'S DISCUS MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Roje Stona (JAM) | 70.00m |
| 🥈 | Mykolas Alekna (LTU) | 69.97m |
| 🥉 | Matthew Denny (AUS) | 69.31m |
| Full results | ||
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