At the “Alexander” stadium in Birmingham, the discus thrower from Padaugava village in Kaunas district threw the implement the farthest at 63.99 meters.
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In the final, where 23-year-old Mykolas Alekna shone with silver (69.89 m), and 25-year-old Martynas Alekna finished 12th (61.78 m), A. Gudžius took 9th place.
- A. Gudžius in the final: 63.37 / 63.99 / 62.77
- In the qualification, A. Gudžius threw 62.54 m and was ninth
“Not impressive,” A. Gudžius laughed after his performance. “As an athlete, I rate it poorly. Realistically, the plan was top six, but I missed it by three places. Of course, that ninth place is ugly – fourth, ninth, thirteenth are like that for us…
Realistically, what I could have done was maybe half a meter further. Eighth or seventh might have been possible, but higher than what the men did is beyond my strength. Not the day for me to do that. No matter what I say, my place and result won’t improve because of it. Sport is a ruthless matter, everything is decided in one day, and it depends on how the country and the world see you. Now they will judge me a little differently.”
In A. Gudžius’s trophy-laden collection are world and European gold medals, and the Diamond League winner title. But the veteran said that past achievements are no longer remembered.
“Forgotten quickly. In Lithuania, we are such that as long as there are medals, it’s good, but when there aren’t, they quickly start crucifying you. It’s fashionable here to call everyone tourists,” said the athlete. “But I say, Martynas’s performance too – what, is he bad, should he stop competing, quit? No, stop it – he’s 25 years old, everything is ahead of him. Those who talk a lot, go ahead – it’s not that hard to come here. You come, throw, meet the standard, and when you come, you do what needs to be done (laughs).”
- In the European men’s discus final, three Lithuanians competed for the first time since 1998 in Budapest, when Virgilijus Alekna won bronze in the final (66.46 m), Romas Ubartas was ninth (61.66 m), and the current A. Gudžius coach Vaclovas Kidykas was eleventh (60.21 m).
The next continental championships in 2028 will take place near Lithuania – in the Polish city of Chorzów, but A. Gudžius was not sure if we will see him there.
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“I don’t know, a lot of time, still two years. When I was 26, it seemed like my whole life was ahead, but now, almost 36, those two years are a lot,” said the former world and European champion. “I don’t know. I’ll see about next year, the world championship standard is very high… If I manage to do it, I will, if not, then not. I’m preparing, working, trying to do it, and however it turns out, so be it.
It’s also unclear how the injuries will be. Like this year – everything seemed fine, in Palanga I threw quite well, recorded 67 meters, also good in training, but from this week again, out of nowhere, something started hurting in my back. And here, minus three meters – do what you want, even stand on your head. What’s the use of being physically prepared if I can’t realize it? It is what it is.”
Kristjan Čeh won gold at the European Championship for the second time in a row, improving the championship record by almost three meters – the Slovenian threw as far as 72.51 meters. Right behind Mykolas Alekna in third place was German Henrik Janssen, just 36 cm behind the Lithuanian (69.53 m), and only in fourth place was last year’s world champion, Swede Daniel Stahl (68.22 m).
“I knew Daniel was coming back from injury, so it would have been surprising if he had thrown 70. But Janssen’s 69 plus… I expected 68 meters from him, but as I said, conditions, conditions, and once again conditions. In the second half of the competition, the wind calmed down and the results changed,” emphasized A. Gudžius. “The wind direction in the same round was from one side for one thrower, and from the other side for another. You see how it fluctuates. Plus emotions, who came prepared how. The championship is a maximum test of nerves. I’m happy overall that I threw three valid throws, it’s a pity the result is not what Lithuanians would want. But it was a brutally good and nice competition – a medal returns to Lithuania, and I’m very happy about that.”
This season, he threw the discus the farthest at the beginning of June in Palanga – 67.73 m, and A. Gudžius’s career record is 69.59 m, set in 2018.
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- A. Gudžius participated in seven consecutive European Championships.
- In 2018 he became champion (68.46 m). In 2022 he took 6th place (65.40 m), in 2024 – seventh (64.43 m), in 2016 – eighth (63.60 m), in 2014 – tenth (60.82 m), and in 2012 – 29th (55.80 m).
You can find the Lithuanian schedule and expectations at the European Championship here.
