This feature originally appeared in the 2023 Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.



July 19, 2022 – It is a cold and drizzly night, and Mykolas Alekna looks nervous.

Maybe he doesn't particularly seem so, except to those who know him. Alekna is not the type to draw attention to himself, other than the attention that he naturally attracts throwing the discus. Up until the NCAA Outdoor Championships – and this June evening at Oregon's Hayward Field – Alekna, 19, had defeated all other collegians by over 13 feet in every single competition and set the all-time NCAA discus record as a freshman. The athletics world is abuzz with discussion about the potential of this young Lithuanian, already dubbing him a future legend.

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

Watching Alekna dominate is a marvel – like walking into the wrong event and seeing something that you shouldn't. It feels unfair to watch someone like this in a collegiate setting, someone who could have immediately hit the professional circuit straight out of the 2021 U20 World Championships, where he won the title by over 10 feet.

It is easy to forget that at the center of it all is a quiet and observant young man, at his core down-to-earth and appreciative. Very few would call Alekna talkative (which, perhaps, lends itself well to his favorite hobby of fishing), but it is obvious how deeply he cares for his Golden Bear teammates and is well-loved by them in return.

"We have so much fun together as a team," he says. "They're all very nice people and helped me a lot when I got here… they're very good friends and very good teammates."

With his calm demeanor and kind smile, Alekna is easy to root for - and enters the 2022 NCAA championship as the overwhelming favorite. He leads the nation's No. 2 discus thrower, Virginia's 21-year-old Claudio Romero, in the standings by over five and a half feet.

Yet, for the first time all season, Mykolas Alekna looks nervous.

"He's fine, he's fine," a teammate in the stands insists as Alekna engages in an uncomfortably close battle with Romero. The rest of Alekna's supporters shift nervously in their seats, emitting progressively more agonized noises as his throws keep falling just short of Romero's best.

Finally, at the end of it all, Romero has triumphed over Cal's young star by just two centimeters to take the national title.

The way it played out was understandable, says Saatara.

"The NCAA Championships is just as intense – in some instances, more intense – as the major world championships," Saatara said. "When you get to a world championship, usually the people there are really experienced at their level, so there's a sense of calmness overall in the field. There is a lot more on the line for the student-athletes at the NCAAs – sometimes, these kids are competing for scholarships – and I don't think people quite get that."

For Alekna, the pressure came from a slightly different angle. "It was a little bit stressful because everyone expected me to win," he admits. "(What happened at) the NCAA Championships was a very good lesson to me."

The following month is a whirlwind.

Alekna returned home and won his country's championship title, improving his personal best to 226 feet, 3 inches. Five days later, he reached a distance of 229 feet at a Diamond League meet in Stockholm, Sweden. Just over two weeks after that, he is back at Hayward Field for the World Athletics Championships – his largest stage to date.



June 19, 2022 – It is a hot and sunny afternoon, and Mykolas Alekna looks unruffled.

After breaking the World Championships qualifying round record two days prior, Alekna is now the youngest person remaining in the men's discus field by over three and a half years. He has already won his rematch with Romero, who failed to make the final – now, the young Lithuanian stands as one of the globe's 12 finest discus throwers.

Once again, Alekna places second at Hayward Field after six throws, this time missing first place by over six feet to the towering 23-year-old Slovenian, Kristjan Čeh. But this time, he has a smile on his face as the silver medal is draped around his neck. He now has the distinction of being the world's youngest-ever discus medalist, also tying teammate Camryn Rogers (women's hammer throw) for the best-ever finish in any World Championships by a Cal student-athlete.

"I felt pressure this time as well," he said afterward, "but (after NCAAs), I knew how to deal with it."

Alekna's silver medal is also a huge milestone for his nation – combined with countryman Andrius Gudžius' bronze medal, it is the first time in World  Championships history that two Lithuanians have won discus medals in the same competition.

"It's amazing," Alekna said. "Lithuanians love discus throwing, so everyone's very excited that we won two medals. This means a lot to me and to my family and to Lithuania."


Aug. 19, 2022 – It is a cold and windy evening, and Mykolas Alekna looks confident.

Three throws into the men's discus final at the European Championships in Munich, Germany, Alekna is once again locked in a battle with Čeh, trailing by nearly two feet. This time, Alekna is familiar with competing from behind – and his demeanor shows it.

Each time, as he steps into the ring, he tosses the discus up into the air and catches it in the other hand – an easy, long-practiced motion not unlike a pizzaiolo tossing dough or a master potter throwing clay on the wheel. It's an almost unconscious routine that makes the weight in his hands look like a part of his body, rather than a separate object.

Finally – with Romero and the NCAA loss a distant memory – Alekna takes the lead over Čeh for good on his fifth throw, letting out a yell and pumping his fists in the air as the discus sails for a championship-record 228 feet, 11 inches. After the final round, (in which Čeh's final throw falls short) Alekna points to the sky with both hands. His Lithuanian coach, Mantas Jusis, visibly attempts to choke back tears.

It is the first European discus title for Lithuania in four years, and Alekna's greatest triumph to date. His grin nearly splits his face as he carries his nation's tricolored flag across his shoulders.

He is subsequently named European Athletics Men's Rising Star, and the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania's Best Male Athlete of the Year.

It's a start.

Now, Alekna is back in Berkeley for his sophomore season with the Bears.

"He's very patient now," Saatara said. "You can see him visualizing the road ahead and where it's going to lead him, rather than always focusing on what he can do right now. His physical growth is obvious, but the mental maturity, learning to compete on different stages and dealing with all sorts of challenges and adversity – that's where he's really grown."

What keeps driving him to improve? The answer from Alekna is no surprise. "My family, my friends, my coaches and teammates," he easily responds. "They support me and believe in me."