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Lithuanian father-son duo BOTH hold records in the same Olympics event after competing 20 years apart
Two decades after his father broke records in the same event, Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna has the opportunity to solidify the family's legacy in Paris.
After a 67.47meter throw in the qualifying round, the 21-year-old punched his ticket to compete for a gold medal on Wednesday.
While Mykolas searches for Olympic glory for the first time, pressure comes from his father, Virgilijus, having won gold in Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000 in the same discipline.
While the younger Alekna waits for his gold medal, the family name is already cemented in the history books. Virgilijus previously held the Olympic record of 69.89m, which his son broke on Wednesday with a 69.89m throw.
Mykolas also holds the world record of 74.35m.
Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna looks to win a gold medal in Paris on Wednesday
His father, Virgilijus, won gold in the same discipline during the 2000 and 2004 games
'If you don't change anything, you'll be just like your father: without the world record,' Virgilijus said when asked what he told his son before his record-breaking effort.
His words proved powerful as Mykolas shattered the longest-standing men's track and field world record: Jurgen Schult's 74.08m throw from 1986.
In doing so, Mykolas broke a record that his father had been chasing his entire career and only got close to once when he threw a personal record 73.88meters before the Sydney games.
While breaking records in discus throw has become a family affair at this point, it was not always the path the Mykolas chose. Before pursuing the same path his father paved, Mykolas dedicated his effort to the soccer field.
Mykolas holds the world record in discus throw with a of 74.35meter throw in April 2024
Aside from his two gold medal finishes, Virgilijus holds the Olympic record of 69.89m
The switch to track and field proved worthy as he showed potential early into his career and moved to train and study at the University of California at Berkeley in 2021.
Mykolas became the youngest world discus medalist in history after he won silver at the 2022 World Championships. He also became the youngest winner at the European Championships in Munich.
Last year, a throw of 71 meters moved Mykolas to the top 20 throws of all time, followed by the world record in April 2024. During that stretch, all his throws – alongside his new all-time mark – were over the elite 70m mark.