Athletics: Daniel Ståhl did not defend the Olympic gold in the discus – seventh in the final

In 2021, Daniel Ståhl became an Olympic gold medalist in the discus, in front of essentially empty stands in a heavily covid-ridden Tokyo.

This year, when there were packed stands in Paris, it fared considerably worse.

Olympics in Paris 2024

Never near the podium

Ståhl, who has had a difficult season where he has struggled to reach the lengths he has reached regularly in recent years, did not go further than 66.95 – almost two meters short of the 2021 Olympic gold medal (68.90), and almost five meters from his Swedish record length (71.86).

– It’s so sad that you don’t get it in competition like I get it in training. I know exactly what to do, but when I switch on the adrenaline, it just goes wrong, says Ståhl to SVT Sport.

He didn’t look too displeased though, offering a big smile and a few bouncy steps after his fifth throw, which measured 67.48, but was subsequently disqualified.

– The branch leader came just before my last throw and said he thought it looked like an overstep. I didn’t think it felt that way, says Ståhl, who has appealed that decision.

Alekna took over her father’s record

In his results, he was never close to challenging for podium places, in the best Olympic final of all time – where the previous Olympic record was surpassed twice.

First, in the second round, world record holder Mykolos Alekna hit 69.97 – eight centimeters further than his father Virgilijus Alekna’s winning mark from the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Record-breaking Olympic final

But in the round after that, Jamaica’s Roje Stona, who previously had a personal best of 69.05 and had never been to a global final before, hit a throw that measured exactly 70 meters – enough for Olympic gold.

Australia’s Matthew Denny took bronze in 69.31. You have never had to throw longer to win an Olympic medal.

– I wanted too much today. I will be seventh today, but one like that is good, there has never been a historic final. It’s magical, awesome to experience, says Ståhl.