Virgilijus Alekna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virgilijus Alekna

Virgilijus Alekna at 2014 Lithuanian Championships in Athletics
Personal information
Nationality	Lithuanian
Born	(1972-02-13) 13 February 1972 (age 53) Terpeikiai, Lithuania
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	130 kg (287 lb)
Political career Member of the Seimas Incumbent Assumed office 14 November 2016 Constituency Multi-member
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Discus throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	73.88 m (2000)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 1 World Championships 2 2 0 European Championships 1 1 1 Continental Cup 4 1 0 IAAF Grand Prix Final 1 1 0 IAAF World Cup 2 0 0 European Throwing Cup 0 1 0 Goodwill Games 0 0 1 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Discus Gold 2004 Athens Discus Bronze 2008 Beijing Discus World Championships Gold 2003 Paris Discus Gold 2005 Helsinki Discus Silver 1997 Athens Discus Silver 2001 Edmonton Discus European Championships Gold 2006 Gothenburg Discus Silver 2002 Munich Discus Bronze 1998 Budapest Discus IAAF World Athletics Final Gold 2003 Monte Carlo Discus Gold 2005 Monte Carlo Discus Gold 2006 Stuttgart Discus Gold 2009 Thessaloniki Discus Silver 2007 Stuttgart Discus IAAF Grand Prix Final Gold 2001 Melbourne Discus Silver 1999 Munich Discus IAAF World Cup Gold 1998 Johannesburg Discus Gold 2006 Athens Discus European Throwing Cup Silver 2013 Castellón Discus Goodwill Games Bronze 2001 Brisbane Discus
Updated on 12 August 2012.

Virgilijus Alekna, born on February 13, 1972, is a famous Lithuanian athlete and politician. He used to be a professional discus thrower, winning many medals. He earned two gold medals at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004, and a bronze medal in 2008.

After he stopped competing in sports, Alekna became a politician. In 2016, he was elected to the Seimas, which is Lithuania's parliament.

He has three children: Martynas, Gabrielė, and Mykolas. His son, Mykolas Alekna, is also a discus thrower and holds the current world record.

Becoming a Discus Champion

Virgilijus Alekna is known for his amazing career in discus throwing. This sport involves throwing a heavy disc as far as possible. He won two gold medals at the Summer Olympics in the discus throw. The first was in Sydney in 2000, and the second was in Athens in 2004. He also won a bronze medal in the same event at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

In 2007, he was honored as a UNESCO Champion for Sport. This title recognizes athletes who promote sports and its values.

Alekna's Best Throws

Virgilijus Alekna's personal best throw is 73.88 meters. For a long time, only one person had thrown farther than him. That was Jürgen Schult, who set a world record of 74.08 meters in 1986.

However, in 2024, Virgilijus's own son, Mykolas Alekna, broke the world record with an incredible throw of 74.35 meters!

Virgilijus Alekna also held an Olympic record for 20 years with his throw of 69.89 meters at the Athens 2004 Olympics. This record was broken twice at the Paris 2024 Olympics. First, his son Mykolas threw 69.97 meters, and then Rojé Stona threw 70.0 meters.

Awards and Recognition

Virgilijus Alekna has received many awards for his achievements.

• In 2000, he was named the Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News.
• The government of Lithuania gave him the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.
• He was named the Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year four times: in 2000, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
• In 2017, he received the European Athletics Lifetime Achievement award.

Physical Advantages for Discus Throwing

Virgilijus Alekna is very tall, standing at 2.02 meters (about 6 feet 7 inches). He also has a very long armspan, which is 2.24 meters (about 7 feet 4 inches). This long armspan is a big advantage in discus throwing, as it helps him generate more power and distance when he throws the disc.

Life Outside of Sports

Virgilijus Alekna is married to Kristina Sablovskytė-Aleknienė, who was a long jumper. They have two sons, Martynas and Mykolas Alekna, who have followed in their father's footsteps and are also discus throwers.

Since 1995, Alekna has also worked as a bodyguard for the Lithuanian Prime Minister.

Becoming a Politician

In May 2016, Virgilijus Alekna decided to enter politics. He announced that he would run in the 2016 Lithuanian parliamentary election as part of the Liberal Movement party.

Even though he did not win in his local area, he was elected to the Lithuanian Parliament through the party's list of candidates. He was ranked second on their list, showing his popularity.

Alekna at his eighth World Championships in 2009, Berlin.

Performance in Major Competitions

See also

In Spanish: Virgilijus Alekna para niños