Kristjan Čeh, Mykolas Alekna, and Roje Stona just took the entire podium at the Diamond League final.
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Today they sat at one table in one of the hotels in Vilnius Old Town and shared their thoughts on the eve of the intriguing upcoming competition, which will be the last of the season for all three discus throwers.
Besides the already mentioned titled discus throwers, the elder brother of Mykolas, Martynas Alekna, and this year’s European Athletics Championships discus throw finalists from the Netherlands, Shaquille Emanuelson and Ruben Rolvinikas, will also test their strength at the Vingis Park stadium.
“It’s a bit strange to see both Roje and Kristjan in Vilnius,” said Mykolas Alekna, sitting among Olympic and European champions. “We are not used to seeing such athletes in Lithuania; I am eagerly awaiting the competition. It will definitely be an interesting fight and a huge celebration. Such athletics competitions have not been held in Vilnius or Lithuania for a long time.”
It’s a bit strange to see both Roje and Kristjan in Vilnius.
Usually, organizers have to pay fees ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 euros to invite stars of this level to commercial competitions, but Olympic and world champions come voluntarily. The event organizer and Alekna family coach Mantas Jusis said that the Lithuanian discus throwing traditions, started by Romas Ubartas, Virgilijus Alekna, and Andrius Gudžius, also helped to attract the athletes.
At the discus throwing competition in Vilnius, athletes will compete for a prize fund of 10,000 euros.
“Such events are very important; they attract a lot of public attention. I hope that tomorrow the Vingis stadium will be packed (laughs). It is not big, but I see that interest is huge. It attracts children to get interested in sports, athletics, so the more such events, the better for Lithuanian sports,” said Mykolas Alekna.
Last year, the world record holder who celebrated victory at the Vingis Park stadium fell just over a meter short of the stadium record held by his father V. Alekna. But this year, the 70.01-meter record is under serious threat, as Mykolas Alekna’s best season result is 72.65 m, K. Čeh’s is 72.61 m, and R. Stona’s is 70.66 m.
“I think it will be necessary to throw 71-72 meters,” M. Alekna set the winning mark.
It is symbolic that the competition will be opened with symbolic throws by Lithuanian Olympic discus champions – V. Alekna and R. Ubartas. Did Mykolas Alekna, currently among the discus throwing elite, give his father any advice and how far could he throw the implement if he did it with all his strength?
“I didn’t give any advice (laughs). His throws will be more symbolic; he will open the competition together with Romas Ubartas. Don’t expect 70 meters (smiles). But it’s nice to symbolically open the competition with the best Lithuanian discus throwers in history,” said Mykolas. “I talked with my father, and he said he last threw the discus 7-8 years ago. So it’s very hard to predict how far the discus would fly.”
He will participate in the competition driven by a desire for revenge. After recovering from a torn chest muscle injury, Lithuanian R. Stona lost the fight for Olympic gold by just 3 centimeters two years ago and lost twice to K. Čeh this year – both in the European Championship final and in the decisive Diamond League competition.
“Of course, there is desire, motivation, and that sporting anger as well. In every competition, I want to beat them, to win, I give my all, no matter where it is. I try to throw as far as possible. The fight will be fierce, but I want to defend my father’s record and win the trophy myself,” said the 23-year-old Vilnius native.
Can we expect very impressive throws and a threat to the world record (held by M. Alekna with a result of 75.56 meters) at tomorrow’s competition?
“We’ll see, it depends on the conditions. I know the atmosphere will be good. It would be impressive, but for now, I don’t intend to break the world record, and we’ll see how it goes,” the Lithuanian spoke cautiously.
He grew up training at the Vingis Park stadium. What characterizes this place and is it favorable for achieving high results?
“Theoretically, I think it’s possible. There are very good days, although catching them is not easy. To improve a record, you need very good weather conditions. The weather conditions will be decent, though not the most favorable. Honestly, I haven’t checked the wind yet. There are many nuances for a record. But it’s clear that high results can be achieved here – I myself have thrown very far and know that it is possible to throw far. The stadium is open, and I think the results will be high,” promised Mykolas.
These will be his last competitions of the season. A season that started with a severe injury in spring but ended with a return to the sector much earlier than planned, winning silver medals at the European Championships and Diamond League, and throwing the discus over 70 meters in almost every competition. What kind of year was it?
“Preparation was disrupted by injury; it was different, shorter. But looking at the statistics and results, this is the best season I’ve had,” said Mykolas Alekna. “Looking at the competition averages, I am happy with the results. I know where I can and need to improve. I want titles and top places, and that will be the main goal next year.”
European champion hopes to improve the record
Although they are the biggest competitors in the discus throwing sector, they did not hide their smiles when entering the press conference room. The 206 cm tall K. Čeh shared his impressions of visiting our country for the first time.
“I am happy to be here. This is my first time in Lithuania, but I hope not the last,” smiled the two-time European and Diamond League and once world champion. “Tomorrow promises great competition. This is Mykolas’ hometown, and people here love discus throwing because of the history of this event.”
“I don’t know,” laughed K. Čeh when asked how far he would need to throw to win. “But if conditions are good, we can expect long throws. But you never know how far you can throw.”
He defeated M. Alekna in the two most important competitions this year, but with what motivation did he come to the hometown of his biggest rival?
“It’s always nice to win, especially nowadays, because discus throwing is at the highest point it has ever been in history. So many guys throw so far. My motivation is always to throw as far as possible because through that you see if you trained well. I will try to throw as far tomorrow as well,” said the 27-year-old Slovenian.
Discus throwing is at the highest point it has ever been in history.
The European champion was asked: what could he learn and what does he value most about Mykolas Alekna?
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“What can I say? He is a world record holder. His technique is very stable; maybe I should learn that from him (smiles). Of course, all three of us are quite young because if you look back 10 years, usually those who threw the farthest were over 30 years old. I think this proves that discus throwing has improved both technically and physically,” K. Čeh reflected.
After the Diamond League final battles, Mykolas mentioned that K. Čeh is the most talented among today’s discus throwers. Did these words reach the Slovenian’s ears?
“Maybe it’s true, maybe not (smiles). But Mykolas is also very talented, his technique is very stable, and he uses the most potential of all current discus throwers. I think I still have reserves with my technique; I would like to throw more consistently,” said the athlete.
Is he determined to improve the Vingis Park stadium record held by V. Alekna?
“I hope this record will fall (laughs). I hope we can throw much further, but come tomorrow and see for yourself,” the Slovenian teased.
M. Alekna is the main reason why discus throwing remains at the peak of popularity in our country.
15min asked about the situation in Slovenia, which also has other prominent sports stars – NBA basketball player Luka Dončić and multiple Tour de France cycling winner Tadej Pogačar.
“I would say that discus throwing currently ranks third or fourth in Slovenia. Slovenia is small; we have even fewer people than Lithuania, but we have so many high-level athletes that athletics is not so popular. But recently it has been growing, which is good news,” K. Čeh rejoiced.
Olympic champion wants to explore Vilnius
“It’s nice to be here; this is also my first time here,” R. Stona agreed with K. Čeh. “I know very well the discus throwing traditions of this country, dating back to Alekna’s father’s times. I am really looking forward to the competition. Discus throwing fans will be watching us, so I am eager to perform as well as possible. These are the last competitions of the season, so I hope it will be fun.”
He made a very bold prediction for tomorrow’s results:
“Here we have both the European champion and the world record holder. If I had to guess, I would say it will be necessary to throw even 74 meters,” laughed the Olympic champion. “If I want to win, I will have to improve my personal best, but I like that; it is always my goal.”
With what motivation did he come to Vilnius?
“Competing in the most important tournaments against these guys is always difficult because you never know who will win. Here we have some of the best throwers, but tomorrow the expectations will be different. We want to see where we are at the current stage, but I hope for a fun competition. I think there will be long throws recorded. It is always an honor to compete with these guys. The further they throw, the further I throw. I am happy to participate here,” said the Olympic champion and Olympic record holder.
I know very well the discus throwing traditions of this country, dating back to Alekna’s father’s times.
Interestingly, after a miraculous performance in Paris, he briefly stepped away from discus throwing and pursued a career in American football, missing the 2025 World Championships. However, he returned last year.
“I wouldn’t say I lost motivation, but I thought I hadn’t yet reached my potential. I wanted to see how much more I could grow, and that is my main motivation,” explained the Jamaican.
A few days ago, information appeared that R. Stona’s coach might become the legendary Estonian discus thrower Gerd Kanter. The Olympic champion previously coached K. Čeh as well.
“I started talking to Gerd earlier when I was improving my technique myself, but I thought I needed help and experience. I reached out to Gerd asking if he could help,” revealed R. Stona. “Competition in this sport is becoming more intense, so I want to be as stable as possible in every competition. Therefore, I think working with an experienced coach would be a great idea. But for now, it’s just talk; nothing is confirmed yet. We’ll see what happens.”
Is he also determined to improve the Vingis Park stadium record?
“I am ready to throw further than 70 meters. I want to win every competition, and to win such competitions, you definitely have to throw over 70 meters. I can’t wait to see how everything will unfold. It will be intense,” said the Jamaican.
As revealed by the event organizers, one of R. Stona’s requests before the competition was the opportunity to spend a week in Lithuania. Although the discus thrower arrived later than planned, he still wants to get to know Vilnius and our country as well as possible.
“Plans changed a bit. The plan was to arrive on Sunday or Monday, but I only flew in on Wednesday. I wanted to explore the city before the competition and stay a bit after. When participating in competitions in other countries, you try to get to know them, meet people and cultures. It will be nice to see people during tomorrow’s competition,” said R. Stona.
Maybe he has already received advice from Vilnius native Mykolas Alekna?
“Yesterday we went out for dinner, but I am still waiting for more of his recommendations,” smiled the Olympic champion.
“I would say you should see the Old Town; we already walked through it a bit yesterday, but there are still many beautiful places left. After the competition, I will take them and show a bit of the nightlife,” chuckled Mykolas.
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On Saturday at 4 p.m., the Vilnius Mayor’s Cup competition will also feature the “CUP” children’s sprint and “Emsi” 400 m family runs. Admission is free for all spectators.
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