Roje Stona delivered a stunning performance at the Olympic Games in Paris, capturing gold in the men’s discus throw with a record-breaking throw of 70.00m at the Stade de France on Wednesday. This monumental achievement not only earned Jamaica its first gold medal of the Games but also marked the nation’s first-ever gold in any throwing event at a major global championship at the senior level.
Stona’s historic throw came in the fourth round, catapulting him from sixth place to first and breaking the previous Olympic record of 69.89m set by Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania at the 2004 Athens Games. The Jamaican’s throw also improved on his personal best of 69.05m, positioning him as the second all-time in Jamaican discus rankings, just behind national record holder Fedrick Dacres with 70.78m.
The competition was fierce, with Mykolas Alekna, son of the former Olympic record holder and current world record holder, securing the silver medal with a throw of 69.97m. Alekna had briefly broken his father’s Olympic record before Stona’s remarkable throw reclaimed the top spot. Australia’s Commonwealth Games champion, Matthew Denny, rounded out the podium with a bronze-winning throw of 69.31m.
Jamaica had a strong showing in the discus final, with three athletes making it to the last round. Ralford Mullings finished ninth with a throw of 65.61m, narrowly missing out on three additional throws, while Traves Smikle placed 10th with 64.97m.
Stona’s victory adds to Jamaica’s growing legacy in throwing events, following Rajindra Campbell’s bronze in the shot put earlier in the Games. The achievement also builds on the foundation laid by Jamaican throwers like Fedrick Dacres, who won gold at the World Under-18 Championships in 2011 and the Under-20 Championships in 2012, and Kai Chang, who captured gold at the World Under-20 Championships in 2018.
Roje Stona’s gold medal is a milestone for Jamaica, underscoring the nation’s expanding prowess in track and field beyond its traditional sprinting dominance. His record-breaking throw not only redefines Jamaican athletics but also cements his place in the annals of Olympic history.
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