Oregon Ducks News: Duck T&F nabs world record holder

Ducks nab Discus champion, world record holder from Cal

Just three years ago on July 19 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Mykolas Alekna became a world champion at age 19.

In 2025 at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, he set the world record in the discus with a throw of 75.56 meters. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, he won the silver medal.

Now he's transferring to the University of Oregon for his senior year.

Alkena is from Lithuania, the son of two-time Olympic gold medalist Virgilijus Alekna, who went on to serve in the Lithuanian parliment.

In time the son may exceed all the achievements of the father. Discus typically is a discipline where athletes peak later. Throwers generally achieve their personal bests in their late 20s and early 30s.

At the 2022 NCAA Track and Field Championships at age 19 as a freshman the younger Alkena beat the entire field by 13 feet.

Cal throws coach Mohamad Saatara told Samantha Sunseri of Inside the Lair, "What he's doing right now has never been done before at this age. "It's kind of uncharted territory."

He won Silver in Paris at 20. At 21 in Ramona he set the world record, more uncharted stuff. The record had stood for 39 years, one of the oldest in the sport.

His transfer immediately makes the Ducks more of a threat at the NCAA Championship next year. In June at Haywayd Texas A&M and USC won the team title with 41 points. Another discus gold from Akena would be worth 10 all by itself.

He's 6-foot-five and holds a degree in psychology from Cal Berkeley. A celebrity and sports icon in his home country, the son of a legend, he appreciates the anonymity he enjoys in the U.S.

“That’s why I like being here in the U.S. No one recognizes me. No one cares,” he said. “I really like it.”

In his spare time he enjoys fishing. He's going to love it in Eugene. Say hello, but don't gush.

Prefontaine Meet honors Oregon icon

Two weeks after Steve Prefontaine died on May 30, 1975, Oregon held the first Steve Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field.

Five decades later the event still honors the track legend, bringing the best in the world to Eugene to celebrate not only the sport but the indomitable spirit Pre gave to competing.

In his final race on May 29, 1975, the Coos Bay legend clocked 13:23.8 in the 5000 meters, two seconds off his American record.

Gold medalist Cole Hocker and bronze medalist Grant Fisher will be competing in the Bowerman Mile, the feature race of the meet, Saturday July 5 from Hayward Field.

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