Mykolas Alekna's Dad is an Olympic Champion and a Member of Lithuania's Parliament

The Cal freshman's famous father has been supportive but never pushy about the sport.

The son of one of the greatest discus throwers in history preferred a different sport growing up. “I played soccer since I was a kid,” Mykolas Alekna said. “It’s my favorite sport.”

Then, as a young teen-ager, his feet suddenly grew.

“One day we went to the store to buy a new pair of soccer boots,” Alekna recalled. “They didn’t have my size. It was size 14.”

And for the first time, Virgilijus Alekna suggested to his son, “You should try discus because you cannot play soccer anymore.”

That’s about as pushy as Alekna’s father ever was about the idea.

Cal throws coach Mo Saatara describes Virgilijus Alekna as a supportive dad. “But very relaxed,” he said. “It’s not like, `You’ve got to do this’ or `you’ve got to do that.’ It’s a very good, healthy relationship.”

“He lets him be himself, which is great. He’s more like, `If you want some guidance I can give you some ideas.’ ”

*** Mykolas Alekna talks about his big performance last week in San Diego.

Virgilijus Alekna at the 2011 World Championships.

Photo by Kirby Lee, USA Today

Virgilijus Alekna has exceled at the sport’s highest level. He is a five-time Olympian, winning gold medals in 2000 at Sydney and 2004 at Athens. A 10-time participant in the World Championships, he won gold twice on that stage and silver twice more.

Virgilijus Alekna was Track and Field News’ Athlete of the Year in 2000, the Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year four times. In 2012, in his final Olympics at London, he was chosen as his country’s flag bearer for the opening ceremonies.

Later, the 6-foot-7, 286-pound Alekna served as a body guard for Lithuania’s prime minister. The exposure to politics prompted him to run for a seat in parliament, which the 50-year-old has held since 2016.

Mykolas, a freshman at Cal, never attended the Olympics to watch his father throw. “I barely remember any of the Olympics because I was a little kid,” he said.

But Alekna appreciates his father’s contributions to his throwing career.

“He has a very big influence on me. He’s supported me all the way, encouraged me, shared his experience with me. He helped me a lot,” Alekna said.

That starts with throwing technique but also includes his approach to training and competition. As much as anything, dad’s achievements provide motivation, Alekna said.

Virgilijus Alekna’s personal best throw of 73.88 meters — 242 feet, 5 inches — ranks him second on the all-time world list. It’s 24 feet farther than Mykolas’ big throw of 66.70 (218-10) last weekend in San Diego.

“Right now, it feels like it’s really, really far, Alekna said of his father’s mark. “That’s a very big number. I just hope one day I’ll throw the same distance or even further. That’s my dream.”

Cover photo of Mykolas Alekna by Derrick Tuskan

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo