Paris 2024 Olympics: Easy day at the office for Alekna in discus qualifying

The 21-year-old fouled on his first effort then stepped into the circle to throw 67.47 metres on his second before calling it a day with his spot in the final locked up.

Mykolas Alekna during the men’s discus throw qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP

Lithuania’s world record-holder Mykolas Alekna showed he is the man to beat in the men’s discus at the Paris Olympics after his leading throw in Monday’s preliminary round.

The 21-year-old fouled on his first effort then stepped into the circle to throw 67.47 metres on his second before calling it a day with his spot in the final locked up.

In April, Alekna stunned the global throwing world when he shattered a world record that had stood for the better part of four decades, hurling the discus 74.35 metres at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational.

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It beat German Jurgen Schult’s effort of 74.08 set in 1986 - which had been the longest-standing record in athletics.

Matthew Denny of Australia threw 66.83 metres for the second-best qualifying throw of the morning at Stade de France, while Austrian Lukas Weibhaidinger was third (66.72).

The final is Wednesday evening.

The 21-year-old Alekna captured silver at the 2022 world championships, then bronze at last year’s worlds in Budapest.