All of them have already secured a place in the European Championship taking place in August, while others will try to do so specifically in Palanga. July 26 is the last day of the qualifiers.
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Unbreakable talent
The incredible comeback of M. Alekna after a painful injury in recent months has become one of the main topics not only in Lithuania but in the entire world of athletics. When the 23-year-old athlete tore his chest muscle during training in March, it was predicted that his return to top-level sport would happen after six months or even later. However, just three months later, Mykolas Alekna threw the discus 70.60 m in a competition in Estonia, and soon after triumphed at the Diamond League stage in Eugene (USA), throwing the implement even further – 71.06 m.
Fans at home will be able to see the athlete’s comeback this weekend. M. Alekna says this start is always highly anticipated.
“Since I can already train and no longer feel the effects of the injury, I always want to compete at least once a year in Lithuania. Many people gather in Palanga, I receive great support, and there are also conditions to achieve good results here. It will be a great test before the European Championship, but of course, I want to win because the competition will definitely be tough,” – says the world record holder.
His brother Martynas, as well as the country’s decorated discus thrower Andrius Gudžius, will challenge him in Palanga, so spectators will have the opportunity to see top-level performances.
The shine of the Diamond League and home advantage
There will be plenty of action on the running tracks as well. The brightest star there might be Gabija Galvydytė. The runner living and training in Oregon (USA) is having an impressive season – she has competed twice in the Diamond League, breaking Lithuanian records both times (1500 m and the mile), becoming the first Lithuanian woman in history to run 1500 m in under 4 minutes, and has won various commercial competitions.
Asked how she evaluates the season, the 26-year-old athlete smiles openly and talks about changes in training. “I evaluate my season very well. I am very happy to have debuted in the Diamond League, to run fast there and break several Lithuanian records. I really hope this new experience will open even more doors in the future. This year we are preparing a bit differently – training more and competing less. This is new for me, so I am very happy to show high results while working intensively. Probably I have never worked so much in the middle of the season while also competing,” – shares the multiple Lithuanian record holder and champion, participant of the Paris Olympic Games.
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Since she is a rare guest at home, she says she values every start here even more. “I really like coming back to Palanga – it’s definitely a fun place to participate and be. It’s nice that my family also comes there, and I receive support from other athletes and fans. It’s good to run among your own people. I am really looking forward to it and I really hope that all the support and the fun atmosphere will help me run fast,” – says G. Galvydytė. She will compete in her favorite 800 m and 400 m distances at the Lithuanian Championship – the latter, as she says, chosen to experiment and check how fast she can run. However, the main focus is on the 800 m event.
After the Lithuanian Championship, she will stay in Palanga with her coach Justinas Beržanskis to prepare for the European Championship taking place in Birmingham (UK) from August 10-16. The athlete has met the qualifying standards for the 800 and 1500 m events.
A special place
The javelin thrower Edis Matusevičius recently secured his place in the European Championship. He threw the implement 83.65 m at the “Cosma Cup” competition held in Palanga stadium in mid-June, meeting the European Championship qualifying standard of exactly 83 m. By the way, the 30-year-old athlete also set the still-standing Lithuanian record of 89.17 m in Palanga in 2019. The athlete admits that it is always good to return to Palanga.
“I really like competing in Palanga because the weather is usually great, the support is excellent. Sometimes a favorable gust of wind also comes…” – laughs E. Matusevičius. However, he adds that he does not set very high goals for the championship this time due to the intense competition schedule. “Only a few days will have passed since the commercial competitions by the time of the championship, so I don’t know how rested I will be… The main thing is to throw over 80 meters,” – summarizes the athlete.
Indeed, the titled Lithuanian javelin thrower manages to exceed the 80-meter mark in almost all competitions this season, which, according to him, is pleasing. “The season is really not bad. Throws are stable, the form is really good. Still, I feel I can throw even further, so I hope the best throws will be at the European Championship. I hope to reach the final there and give everything I can in it, just like at the 2024 Rome Championships (editor’s note: E. Matusevičius placed 4th then),” – shares the athlete’s expectations.
Runners Gediminas Truskauskas, Modesta Justė Morauskaitė, Simas Bertašius, triple jumpers Diana Zagainova, Dovilė Kilty, Aina Grikšaitė, pole vaulter Rugilė Miklyčiūtė, and many other top Lithuanian athletes will also compete in Palanga. The competitions will start at 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. On Saturday, among other events, there will be a Children’s 400-meter run where all children up to 12 years old can try their strength, accompanied by titled Lithuanian athletes. Entrance to Palanga stadium is free.
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