Cal's Mykolas Alekna Wins Bronze in the Discus, His 2nd World Championship Medal

Mykolas Alekna became the first Cal athlete to earn two medals in individual events at the World Championships after securing a bronze in a ferocious men’s discus competition on Monday in Budapest, Hungary.

The rising junior from Lithuania threw 225 feet, 10 inches (68.85 meters) on his fourth attempt to add a bronze medal to the silver he won last summer as a 19-year-old competing in Eugene, Oregon -- the youngest ever to do so.

Alekna joins his father, Virgiljus Alekna, as a multiple medal winner in the discus at the World Championships. Virgilijus was a two-time champion at the Worlds and a two-time silver medalist, but he didn’t get the first of those until he was 25 years old.

He also twice won the Olympics and is second on the all-time world leaders list.

Former Cal and Canadian sprint star Atlee Mahorn won bronze medals at the Worlds in the 200 meters in 1991 and the 4x100 relay two years later, but Alekna is the first Golden Bears to reach the medal stand twice on his own.

Former Cal star Camryn Rogers, who earned a silver in the women’s hammer throw last year, will go after more honors when her event begins with qualifying on Wednesday. She and Alekna were the first two Cal athletes to win silver in 40 years of competition at the Worlds.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Daniel Stahl of Sweden won the gold on Monday with a meet-record and season-best toss of 234-5 (71.46) on his final throw. Defending world champ Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia took home the silver with a mark of 229-9 (70.02).

"This was my best performance ever," said Stahl, who has thrown farther only once. "I had so much focus; I would say 1000% on the last throw after I saw Kristjan throw 70.02m."

Never before had two men broken 70 meters in the same competition on a major international stage.

"The competition was so strong," Stahl said. "It was an amazing final and I'm really proud of the record."

Alekna finished behind two of history's best in the discus. Stahl and Ceh are tied for the No. 4 spot on the all-time chart. Alekna resides at No. 18 with his collegiate record of 232-11 (71.00). He is younger than every entry above him on the list.

Alekna was the only entry among 12 in the field Monday who avoided fouling in the finals.

And he improved as the competition progressed. His final three attempts were his best, all of them better than 223-1 (68.00 meters).

It was the eighth time this season Alekna has thrown at least 68 meters, a distance achieved by just 10 different athletes worldwide this year.

The men’s discus final came on a night where Americans won the two high-profile events.

Grant Holloway captured his third straight World crown in the 110-meter hurdles in a season-best of 12.96 seconds, and Sha’Carri Richardson upstaged Jamaican stars Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price to claim the women’s 100 meters in a championship-record time of 10.65.

Cover photo of Mykolas Alekna by Catharyne Hayne, KLC fotos

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