Mykolas Alekna had already qualified for the Wanda Diamond League Final when he took to the ring in Silesia on Sunday.
Yet if anyone thought he would be resting on his laurels, they were sorely mistaken.
On a day of numerous records at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Alekna delivered a statement victory that rewrote the Diamond League history books.
The Lithuanian arrived in Poland with a point to prove, having finished second to Slovenian rival Kristjan Čeh at the European Championships in Birmingham.
He came out swinging, landing 71.03m with his first throw and 71.67m with his second.
That was more than enough to win the competition, but Alekna wasn’t done there.
In the fifth round, he landed another monster throw that was recorded by the Wanda Diamond League Official Timekeeper OMEGA at 72.58m.
It was the first 72-metre throw ever recorded at a Diamond League meeting, almost a metre further than his own previous series record, and the furthest outside of Ramona, Oklahoma since 2006.
For the world record holder, it crowned an astonishing return to world-beating form after undergoing surgery at the beginning of the year.
Now, Alekna has his sights set firmly on the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4-5, where he hopes to defend his discus title and cement his status as world number one.
I turned the frustration from the European championships into motivation,” he said.
“It was probably the best crowd in the world. Silesia for me is magical, amazing and loud. After Birmingham I was really hungry, and I am still hungry. I still have the Diamond League Final to win.”
