BUDAPEST23 WILL INEVITABLY be remembered for many things but one of them will be a DT contest for the ages. The thrilling finale saw two men throw over 70m (229-8) for the first time at a World Championships and the lead change twice in as many throws at the very end of the competition.
With the very last throw of the night, Sweden’s ’19 WC and Tokyo Olympic champion Daniel Ståhl reached 234-5 (71.46) to end a compelling contest in which the basic question of who would emerge as champion was in doubt until his 2kg implement actually landed for the final time.
For the first 3 rounds, it was regular Ståhl rival and ’22 WC winner Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia who held sway with opening efforts of 224-1 (68.31) and, 227-3 (66.27) before a third-round foul.
Meanwhile, Ståhl was struggling slightly to find his best rhythm and was languishing down in 4th with 218-5 (66.58) at the halfway point.
However, everything came together for Ståhl in round 4.
Undoubtedly helped by his fan club — a group of as many as 70 resplendent in yellow t-shirts and seated close by the discus circle — roaring him on, he reached 227-7 (69.37) to take the lead.
Neither man could improve in round 5 and after Lithuania’s Collegiate Record-setter for Cal Mykolas Alekna was confirmed as the bronze medalist, everything came down to a tense head-to-head duel.
Čeh unleashed an effort of 229-8 (70.02) only to see Ståhl snatch back the gold medal moments later with his monster effort. The Swede’s climactic throw was a clutch performance of epic proportion.
Ståhl’s 234-5 — which also added 33cm (13in) to Čeh’s WC Record from last year — was even more stunning than just the numbers alone considering the unhelpful conditions for discus throwing with no breeze at all in the stadium and humidity hanging in the air.
“This was my best performance ever,” Ståhl reflected. “I had so much focus, I would say 1000% on the last throw after I saw Kristjan threw 70.02. I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to give up and will try to go hard as possible.’
“I have long legs and arms and I tried to execute the most powerful move, but also enjoy it,” reflected Ståhl, whom one Swedish fan in the stands described as “a lovable bear.”
Čeh assessed, “I knew I was physically really prepared, even though one month before the World Championships I was struggling with technique. In the end everything came together, and I knew that I had 70m in me, which I showed on the last throw.
“However, I knew I still probably wouldn’t win because Daniel performs really well under pressure and the crowd was cheering for him a lot.”
Alekna finished with three throws over 68m with a best of 225-10 (68.85) — the best-ever distance for a WC 3rd placer — to add a bronze to his Oregon22 silver.
Matthew Denny moved up from 6th at the ‘19 and ‘22 WCs to finish 4th this time with an Australian Record 223-11 (68.24).
Brian Williams, perhaps the least heralded of the U.S. trio in Budapest despite making his third Worlds team, finished 9th with 208-9 (63.62).
Repeating his Q-round mark, 209-5 (63.85), in the final would have earned the Ole Miss alum a place in the top 8 and three more throws.
Turner Washington — whose father Anthony won in ’99 and is still the only non-European world discus champion — and Sam Mattis were down on their form from earlier this summer and could only throw 208-6 (63.57) and 208-1 (63.43) respectively in qualifying to finish 14th and 15th and neither reached the final.
Frustratingly — considering both men have regularly thrown 210-0 (64.00) this season — going only a foot further would have seen one or the other — or maybe both — progress as 12th place in the Q-round was achieved with 209-1 (63.72).
MEN’S DISCUS RESULTS
FINAL (August 21)
1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 234-5 (71.46)
(206-8, 218-5, f, 227-7, 221-8, 234-5,) (63.01, 66.58, f, 69.37, 67.56, 71.46,);
2. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 229-9 (70.02)
(224-1, 227-3, f, 222-9, 218-9, 229-9) (68.31, 69.27, f, 67.89, 66.69, 70.02);
3. Mykolas Alekna (Lit) 225-10 (68.85)
(214-0, 220-1, 211-2, 225-10, 223-4, 223-4) (65.23, 67.08, 64.37, 68.85, 68.07, 68.07);
4. Matt Denny (Aus) 223-11 (68.24) NR (217-9, f, f, 223-11, f, 216-3) (66.39, f, f, 68.24, f, 65.92);
5. Fedrick Dacres (Jam) 218-11 (66.72)
(215-8, 211-11, 218-11, f, 209-7, f) (65.74, 64.60, 66.72, f, 63.89, f);
6. Andrius Gudžius (Lit) 217-1 (66.16)
(216-4, 217-1, f, f, 209-11, 216-11) (65.95, 66.16, f, f, 63.98, 66.13);
7. Lukas Weißhaidinger (Aut) 215-0 (65.54)
(208-6, 213-10, 206-2, 213-11, 215-0, f) (63.57, 65.19, 62.85, 65.20, 65.54, f);
8. Henrik Janssen (Ger) 209-4 (63.80)
(206-7, 209-4, 209-2, f, f, 204-3) (62.97, 63.80, 63.77, f, f, 62.27);
9. Brian Williams (US) 208-9 (63.62)
(205-8, 208-9, f) (62.68, 63.62, f);
10. Connor Bell (NZ) 207-5 (63.23)
(207-5, f, 204-1) (63.23, f, 62.21);
11. Traves Smikle (Jam) 203-1 (61.90)
(f, 203-1, f)
(f, 61.90, f);
12. Alex Rose (AmS) 202-4 (61.69)
(f, f, 202-4)
(f, f, 61.69).
| * = progression of the leading throw; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Weißhaidinger | 63.57* | 65.19 | 62.85 |
| Gudžius | 65.95* | 66.16¶ | f |
| Čeh | 68.31* | 69.27* | f |
| Dacres | 65.74 | 64.60 | 66.72¶ |
| Williams | 62.68 | 63.62¶ | f |
| Janssen | 62.97 | 63.80¶ | 63.77 |
| Ståhl | 63.01 | 66.58 | f |
| Smikle | f | 61.90¶ | f |
| Alekna | 65.23 | 67.08 | 64.37 |
| Rose | f | f | 61.69¶ |
| Denny | 66.39 | f | f |
| Bell | 63.23¶ | f | 62.21 |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Janssen | f | f | |
| Weißhaidinger | 65.20 | 65.54¶ | |
| Gudžius | f | 63.98 | |
| Denny | 68.24¶ | f | |
| Ståhl | 69.37* | 67.56 | |
| Dacres | f | 63.89 | |
| Alekna | 68.85¶ | 68.07 | |
| Čeh | 67.89 | 66.69 | |
| last round | |||
| Janssen | 62.27 | ||
| Weißhaidinger | f | ||
| Gudžius | 66.13 | ||
| Denny | 65.92 | ||
| Dacres | f | ||
| Alekna | 68.07 | ||
| Čeh | 70.02*¶ | ||
| Ståhl | 71.46*¶ | ||
QUALIFYING (August 19)
(auto-qualifier 218-2/66.50)
Qualifiers: Ståhl 217-4 (66.25), Alekna 216-8 (66.04), Čeh 216-4 (65.95), Smikle 215-7 (65.71), Weißhaidinger 215-3 (65.61), Gudžius 214-11 (65.50), Dacres 214-8 (65.45), Rose 214-1 (65.26), Denny 210-11 (64.29), Williams 209-5 (63.85), Janssen 209-3 (63.79), Bell 209-1 (63.72),
Non-Qualifiers: Lawrence Okoye (GB) 208-10 (63.66) (farthest non-Q ever), Turner Washington (US) 208-6 (63.57), Sam Mattis (US) 208-1 (63.43), Steven Richter (Ger) 207-11 (63.37), Daniel Jasinski (Ger) 207-10 (63.36), Philip Milanov (Bel) 206-8 (63.00), Roje Stona (Jam) 205-7 (62.67), Martynas Alekna (Lit) 205-3 (62.57), Simon Pettersson (Swe) 205-2 (62.53), Gudni Valur Guðnason (Ice) 204-4 (62.28), Claudio Romero (Chl) 204-2 (62.24), Apostolos Parellis (Cyp) 203-9 (62.10), Oskar Stachnik (Pol) 203-3 (61.96), Martin Marković (Cro) 203-0 (61.88), Victor Hogan (SA) 202-9 (61.80), Robert Urbanek (Pol) 201-1 (61.30), Alin Alexandru Firfirica (Rom) 200-2 (61.03), Róbert Szikszai (Hun) 198-11 (60.64), Mouad Mohamed Ibrahim (Qat) 198-2 (60.40), Lucas Nervi (Chl) 192-9 (58.76), Mario A. Díaz (Cub) 190-4 (58.03), Yasiel Brayan Sotero (Spa) 183-4 (55.89), Juan José Caicedo (Ecu) 183-0 (55.78).